


Cheaper by The Three Dozen

by bexorz, Vixen13



Category: Deadpool - All Media Types, Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Children, Eventual sexy times, Explicit Sexual Content, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, I write bottom Peter, Loki Needs a Hug, M/M, Mutants, Panic Attacks, Peter Needs a Hug, Peter is in his 30's in this, Plot, Slow Burn, Sorry Not Sorry, Spider Babies, THE HUMAN CONDITION, The feels, This is such a big project, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, dad!peter, disturbing imagery for some readers, hardcore spider behavior, momma!Wade, parenting, probably, secret hideout, why do I do this to myself?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2018-10-03 03:01:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 82,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10234376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexorz/pseuds/bexorz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vixen13/pseuds/Vixen13
Summary: Peter Parker is missing and Spider-man is nowhere to be found. It's been a year, and Deadpool is tired of waiting in order to reconcile with Spider-man over the long ago fight that ended their friendship. So Deadpool puts his all into finding out where Spidey went and why he's in hiding. The answer... was extraordinarily unexpected. But Wade will do anything to fix the rift he created, so he puts his everything into keeping Peter - and three dozen surprises - safe from everyone else.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really shouldn't be posting this yet, but I've been struggling to write lately and after some hard edits on my serious work, I need emotional support and compliments. T.T Don't judge me.
> 
> I'm gonna update this one slow. It's gonna cover a massive amount of time. I have no idea how I'm gonna end this. I guess I'll write until I run out of ideas or figure that out. XD Oh well.
> 
> This fic will likely be one of the oddest fics you've ever read. (That's my specialty!) I don't really know what goes on in my head. @.@ Sorry.

If you so desire to understand exactly how I’m messing with canon, read these notes. Otherwise, feel free to skip to the story at the ~*~ sign.

Things you’ll need to know about by mish-mash of continuity:

We’re skipping forward a lot of years, first off.

Parker Industries is a thing that exists (via Superior Spider-man). Peter Parker is CEO and single (via Spideypool mash-up comics).

Gonna stick with MCU Avengers since that’s the group I know the best. (I started writing this after Civil War came out.) We’re just gonna pretend that whatever happens in the upcoming movies is resolved. Everybody lives and Bucky, T’Challa, Spider-man, Ant-Man, and very rarely Deadpool join The Avengers on an at need basis. Hawkeye is deaf with Stark brand hearing aids, tho (because I like that plot point).

I’m gonna just assume that everybody figures out that Loki killed Odin and pretended to be his father and ruled for a while. Loki is thrown in jail and now Thor(Odinson) is ruler and has a lot more responsibilities. Everyone calls for Loki’s execution, but Thor refuses and just keeps him prisoner. (Meanwhile Jane is now Thor, but I will refer to Odinson as Thor in the story to avoid confusion.)

There was a storyline about the [six arms saga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Six_Arms_Saga) that was based on Peter’s mutation getting out of control and turning him into  
[Man-Spider](http://www.prawnsoda.co.uk/marvel/images/artwork/mutant.gif). First with extra arms then later into full blown spider beast. Unfortunately, his mind also went very beastly so they couldn’t just leave him like that. Some friends developed a serum to suppress the beastly spider side of himself. (Technically this gene was removed later in a convoluted plot line, but that’s neither here nor there.)

This is a full Marvel verse so mutants, X-men, Magneto, and whatnot are also a thing. (I guess so are Guardians of the Galaxy, but I have no plans to include them thus far.) The prejudice against mutants and especially those non-human looking is still a huge issue. There is a point where Magneto stops trying to wage war on humanity and decides instead to just find ways to help mutants live in peace. Of course, his past haunts him and humans don’t really trust him. Still, gonna pretend we’re far enough into the future that Magneto is being somewhat calm about things lately.

So Peter is about 30-ish? Still has a baby face and lanky body from being Spider-man and having a healing ability. Deadpool is trying to be a better person and thus divorced Shiklah since she wanted to take over the Earth and stuff. Deadpool’s face and body was somewhat reconstructed, but still heavy with scars. So more [this](https://comicnewbies.com/2016/04/21/deadpool-and-spider-man-dancing-on-stage/) than [this](http://pm1.narvii.com/5978/511d8b2e481f6ccabd05cad05d503659c0e7421c_hq.jpg), [this](http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/e/e9/Emily_Preston_\(Earth-616\)_from_Deadpool_Vol_3_8_001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130427174228), or [this](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5vNdMaC2Ghc/UYknjpf0A6I/AAAAAAAAAk0/2QK6v2GPPng/s1600/Deadpool.face_.jpg). Mostly because I just like scarred Wade better than pretty Wade. (Sorry Wade.)

So without further ado, let’s do this thing.

~*~

Deadpool did not like Peter Parker of Parker Industries. The man was good looking and charming and good looking and sassy and good looking… Also, he had a corrupt corporation! That was enough to dislike a guy, right?

Well, over the years Parker did his best to fix the corruption in his company. At first, Deadpool just thought it was some kind of publicity stunt, but Spider-man had convinced Wade otherwise. Still, Deadpool was untrusting of the company and its CEO even after things ended up squeaky clean on the inside.

Spider-man ended up Parker’s bodyguard somehow and that annoyed Deadpool even more. What if that pretty faced Parker ended up stealing his Spidey away from him? Especially since Parker was single now and on the market. Deadpool decided to fix that fear one day and threaten the man in person.

However, that ended up the day that Deadpool found out Spider-man’s secret identity. To say that Wade was furious would be an understatement. Even though Peter tried to explain everything, Wade refused to listen. He was hurt and felt strangely betrayed, but mostly just defeated. Peter Parker exclusively dated women, and drop dead gorgeous women at that. What was Wade sticking around for?

So in a huff, Deadpool said his goodbyes and fled into the night. He had no intention of seeing Spidey ever again. In fact, part of him wanted to go back to his old ways now that his idol had been destroyed. Yet, he found that he couldn’t do such a thing. He’d worked too hard to change himself. And it wasn’t just Spidey he had changed for. It was for Ellie. It was for himself.

Spider-man tried a few times to contact Deadpool and talk about what happened. Deadpool refused to answer. So Peter took to sending updates on his company and the good it was doing. That had an impact on Wade, though he would never admit it. After a while, Deadpool started looking up news on Spider-man’s recent adventures and couldn’t help but smile at it. Despite everything, Wade was still head over heels for the wall crawler.

Maybe not despite. Maybe _because_ of everything. Peter had tried so hard to fix the company his evil counterpart had created and succeeded in doing so. That was one hell of an accomplishment. Maybe Deadpool was being too hard on the guy. After all, he was still Spidey.

So Deadpool made the decision to talk to Peter once more, to apologize for overreacting and ask for their friendship back. Except, Peter Parker had disappeared and so had Spider-man. It was on record that Parker was taking an extended retreat and had left someone else in charge. Spider-man had informed the Avengers that he would be absent for the foreseeable future. They had no further details to give on that. Wade knew because he hacked the system (aka broke into Tony’s office since he knew how to get into Tony’s personal computer after that one time Tony was shit faced in a bar and highly talkative) in order to find out what Tony had on file.

As much as the sudden disappearance bothered Wade, it was pretty typical of Spider-man. So Wade decided to wait things out. Except a few weeks turned into a few months which turned into nearly a year. Peter Parker CEO was reported as missing and The Avengers were scrambling to find out where Spider-man had gone. They even questioned Deadpool.

However, Peter was never found. Frustrated that the Avengers refused to tell Deadpool anything, he once more broke into Tony’s office to find a recorded video call. It was of a gaunt, haggard looking Peter glaring at the camera and speaking angrily.

“I’m fine! I’m not kidnapped and I’m not being coerced in any way! Leave it alone! Stop looking for me! I need time alone. Just _stop_.” At which point the video was abruptly cut off as Peter ended the call.

Tony had been unable to trace where the call came from. Wherever Peter was, they couldn’t find a trail. Which made sense, as Peter was a genius in his own right and if he wanted to hide, he could surely do that. However, Wade had experience tracking down the richest and most elusive of marks. Not to mention, he didn’t at all care about Peter’s request for privacy like the others did.

Next stop was Parker Industries to go over the money trail. Peter was so well hidden that he must have done it all himself. Wade just needed to find the discrepancy in the records to figure out how Peter was getting money to himself. After that, it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to get to Peter.

Nobody was getting in the way of Deadpool finally seeing his Baby Boy again. Not even Peter himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I should be updating We Don't Do Normal but I am legit afraid to do so because I feel like everything I write is terrible right now. @.@ I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about. Dat feeling, yo. It's awful. Anywho, I feel like I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. Let's hope this helps some. :-)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. Here we go. Stick with me guys, this is where things start getting weird.

Parker Industries had an unknown charity that put money towards the protection of mutants who couldn’t live with the general populace. Most of the money spent from that fund was hidden from the rest of the company. It was a good first lead.

Deadpool visited all of the locations, but there was no Spider-man to be found. Returning to Parker Industries after a month of searching, Deadpool went over the information again. There had to be a discrepancy somewhere. It took days to find it, but find it he did. 

A land purchase in Brazil. The land was all hills and lakes, a ways out from any form of civilization. The closest town was very small and the only way to get there was to hitch a ride with one of the run-down trucks willing to brave the small switchback roads near the mountains.

The location had sat on the roster for a while. It had been occupied at the time of the initial purchase but money stopped going to the place shortly after. Then, right before Peter went on his “vacation” it disappeared from the list. Likely, Peter funneled money to an overseas account and was using it to purchase supplies locally. Though the logistics of that didn’t matter so much. What was important was that Deadpool had found Spidey.

Packing a bag, Wade was off again on a trip to Brazil. The first day he spent his time enjoying the local food. The next, he got a ride on one of the aforementioned run-down trucks to the tiny ass town that was closest to the location. After that, he was hoofing it. On the upside, summer meant there was plenty of sunlight for his long journey. On the downside, summer meant it was hot as balls.

Though Deadpool was prepared to spend days canvassing the area, he quickly came upon a trail. It consisted of old tire tracks already growing back over from disuse. But the tracks were well worn enough to indicate that lots of material had been delivered out into the middle of nowhere. Following it brought Wade to a large clearing overlooking a drop off that lead to a lake, but was otherwise surrounded by forest. 

In the middle of the clearing was a lovely brick manor house. It was most certainly being used as more than just a home. Knowing Peter, it was likely some kind of laboratory/work shop. Though why Peter was working on something in secret was beyond Wade. Not that Wade intended to press for that kind of information. He wasn’t here for that.

Whistling, he made his way to the large arched entrance of the quiet home. “Spideyyy! Baby Boooy! Are you home?”

Silence. Reaching the front door, Deadpool knocked rapid fire with the large metal door knocker. Nothing. Taking a few steps backwards, Wade looked around at all the windows, assessing which ones would be easiest to break into. Of course, there could also be a backdoor that was left unlocked.

So out of courtesy in order to not smash up the place (a trait he’d been working hard on developing recently), Wade made his way around the building. The back of the building held balconies on many of the levels, one of which had its french doors wide open to the summer breeze. Still, Deadpool didn’t see any movement inside.

“Julieeeeet! Come to thy window!” Deadpool hummed Melissa Etheridge’s _Come To My Window_ as he waited.

Just when Wade decided he should try and climb up to the balcony, he saw movement. He called out again, “Hey! Is that you? Look, I’m sorry for hiding from you for so long but you’re right. We should talk!”

A strange chittering noise filled the air, growing in depth and volume as if coming from multiple sources. The noise made Wade’s skin crawl. It was unlike anything he’d ever heard before and he reflexively took a few steps back from the house.

“Baby Boy?” He asked uncertainly.

What happened next was completely unexpected, even for Deadpool. A spider burst from the billowing curtains surrounding the french doors to look down at Deadpool from the balcony. Except, it wasn’t just a spider. It was a spider big enough that Wade could have ridden it like a horse. Glossy brown fur glistened in the sun as its palpus fidgeted in agitation. The chittering noise was coming from _it_.

Deadpool let out a very high pitched scream before turning tail and running. He whipped out his guns, completely unsure if it would do any damage at all. Not that he had a chance to find out. The thing _jumped_ from the balcony and was on Wade in an instant. Its many legs knocked away the weapons and pinned down his arms.

Wade let out another ear piercing scream of alarm as he struggled to get free. However the thing was strong, insanely strong, and quickly immobilized all of Wade’s appendages before sinking fangs into Wade’s chest. Now, Wade had died in far more painful ways, but it was the _aesthetic_ of such a gargantuan spider that brought out the pure terror of the moment.

The venom was quickly paralyzing him, not that it mattered much. His system would metabolize it soon enough and even if he was eaten, it wouldn’t have been the first time. However, the gigantic spider let out a noise of a different type and there was a chorus of answers coming from the house.

“Attack of the spiders…” Wade wheezed out as his lungs fought to keep working.

In the next moment he was being engulfed by dozens of smaller spiders. Of course, smaller was a relative term. They were still the size of puppies and seemed just as hungry. They injected their own venom, flooding Wade’s system and shutting everything down in mere seconds.

Wade supposed that was alright since spiders also injected digestive fluids to liquefy their prey in order to be consumed. That was not a process Wade wanted to be awake for. So he happily let himself die with the stopping of his heart and lungs. He hadn’t been able to talk to Death in a while, so it would be nice to catch up.

~*~

The first thing to filter into Wade’s consciousness was pain. Almost every last inch of him hurt. That was likely because he was having to regrow most of himself and unliquefy his insides. Not a pleasant task, to be sure. The second thing he noticed was the warm angle of the morning light on his face. He must have been out the rest of the day and all night. Which made sense. Regrowing limbs was a timely process.

The third thing he noticed was that someone was crying. For a moment, he thought it was himself and he was disassociating again. But no, the crying was coming from his right. Slowly letting his head loll to the right, Wade squinted his eyes open and gave an unconscious moan at the movement and the piercing light.

The person in front of him lifted a tear stained face to look at Wade with a mixture of relief, guilt, and fear. Blinking, Wade tried to place the face of the person in front of him. The man was completely nude, sitting on his butt with legs folded to his chest and his arms wrapped around them to keep them in place. He looked boney like he wasn’t eating enough, and had dark circles under his eyes like he wasn’t sleeping enough. His eyes were bloodshot from sobbing and his hair was oily and in need of a wash.

Suddenly, Wade’s mind finally started working and he recognized who it was: Peter Parker. But wait, he was looking for Spider-man. Oh yeah, Spider-man _was_ Peter Parker. That’s what they were supposed to talk about. Finally! After so long, they could be friends once again.

“Spidey?” Wade croaked and did his best to smile.

Peter let out a sob and buried his face into his knees again. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m sorry!”

Wade was confused. Why was Spidey apologizing? “I’s okay, Baby Boy.” Wade rasped, his words slurring a bit. “‘M sorry too fer runnin’ away so long.”

But Peter didn’t answer, just continued to cry uncontrollably. Wade wasn’t sure how much time passed after that but eventually he was able to move around more. With a loud groan he sat up and checked out the damage. Most of his suit was in tatters and his legs were still raw from re-growth but they were mostly formed. The same with his left arm and a huge section of his stomach.

“What happened to the giant spider?” Wade asked now that he was somewhat more steady.

Peter sucked in a breath and held it but didn’t respond. Wade looked over and stared at Peter’s stiff form. The boxes figured it out first and when Wade did the math, it seemed to make a lot of sense. Poor Spidey was probably terrified of hurting people. Justifiably, if Deadpool’s tattered body was any indication.

“Ohhh… _You’re_ the giant spider.” Wade stated the obvious.

The breath Peter held released in a huff before he started breathing too fast, trembling all over. He raised fearful eyes to Wade and whispered in a shaky voice. “Are you going to kill me?”

Wade’s eyes went wide under his still intact mask. “Whaaat? Are you kidding me, Baby Boy? Of course not! It was my fault for startling you. Besides, no harm, no foul. I healed again.”

Peter looked no less guilty and no less afraid. “Who else knows where I am?”

“Just me!” Wade was quick to reassure. “When nobody else could find you, I put my amazing tracking skills to work on a solo mission.”

“They’re looking for me?” Peter started to hyperventilate. When he did, his sides rippled, the skin pushing out as if it was trying to grow something that didn’t belong there.

“Whoa whoa whoa, Spidey! Calm down!” Wade held up his hands, trying to get Peter to focus. It was at that point that he noticed all of his weapons were missing. Every last one. Shit. The wall crawler must have hidden them somewhere. “Look, they weren’t really trying after your message yelling at them to stop, but I had my own agenda.”

Peter tried to take a calming breath as he trembled all over. “What agenda?”

“To talk to you. We left off on bad terms and I was being a little over-emotional about the whole identity reveal thing, I admit that. I just wanted to talk to you, but you were gone, and I’m not exactly patient.” Wade looked down and started picking at the grass before mumbling. “I missed being friends.”

All the tension seemed to suddenly fall away from Peter at those last words. There was a long pause before he whispered. “Why didn’t you text me back?”

Wade sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was jealous.”

“Of what?”

“Your face.”

Peter sighed. “ _Wade…_ ”

“I know! I know! But this is kind of a long running complex, okay? Besides, I told you I had a crush on you and seeing as how you were Peter fucking Parker with all the pretty ladies as your arm candy, I felt kinda deflated, ya know? Sue me.”

“I’m not a snob when it comes to looks,” Peter stated, somewhat offended.

“Yeah, well, that’s why I came to apologize.”

Peter let out a strained laugh. “Ya know… We’ve been talking less than five minutes and you’ve already distracted me from my issues… I’ve missed that.”

Wade grinned as he caught Peter’s eye at last. “I’ve missed it too, Baby Boy.” Peter gave a small smile in return. “Hey, speaking of issues, you realize you’re naked, right?”

At that, Peter turned beet red and babbled, looking anywhere but at Wade. “I haven’t been able to control my emotions well and that triggers the change. I don’t have any clothes left that aren’t shredded. I can’t risk going into town and I can’t risk anyone coming here so I can’t get new ones.” 

“Sounds like you need a best friend to help you out! Good thing I’m here! It’s cool. I can run down get whatever you-”

“NO!” Peter was back to panic mode in an instant. “No! You can’t stay here!” Then something seemed to occur to him. “You can’t tell anybody where I am!” He moaned. “Oh gods, you know where I am…”

“Heeey, Baby Boy! Calm down! It’s just me. I won’t tell anybody.”

“Nonononono.” Peter gripped the sides of his head with his hands, rocking back and forth. “You can’t leave! You can’t! I won’t let you hurt them!”

Wade cocked his head to the side. “You mean the slightly smaller giant spiders?”

Peter’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with worry. “You remember,” he whispered in horror.

“Kinda hard to forget when they juice your insides.” Wade shrugged.

That comment made Peter start hyperventilating again. He stumbled backwards to his feet, embarrassment over his nudity forgotten. Wade should have enjoyed the free show, but couldn’t stop obsessing over how skinny Peter looked.

“Are you eating okay?” Wade grilled.

Two extra sets of arms burst from Peter’s sides, leaving Wade gaping in shock. That was a new trick. And it didn’t look particularly comfortable. Peter stumbled to his knees with a moan. Wade quickly crawled over to the man in worry, gripping Peter’s shoulders.

“Hey! Baby Boy. Shhh, it’s okay. Nobody’s gonna get hurt. I promise. I’ll do whatever you say.”

When Peter looked up, Wade noticed he was crying again. Poor thing was probably drowning in stress. Peter’s voice cracked when he spoke. “I can’t control it.”

“That’s fine! It’s okay! Even if you eat me, I’ll come back. Just calm down. Everything’s gonna be okay. You got a slave in me. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. You need an arm to eat? You got it! Need me to make a thousand pancakes? I’m your man! Toilet clogged? I can fix it!”

Peter shook his head as if trying to clear it. “I’m not going to ask to eat you.”

“It’s fine if you do,” Wade reassured. “You look like you’re starving and I owe you one for not being around when you needed me.”

Once more, Peter’s breathing evened out and the extra arms slowly shrank back into his sides. When he finally seemed to have control of himself, he fell forward into Wade’s arms, resting his head on Wade’s broad chest. “I don’t know what to do…” he whispered in a heartbroken way.

Wade wrapped comforting arms around Peter and just stayed that way for a while. Letting Peter rest as Wade considered the situation. “I’m not going anywhere,” Wade softly stated. “You can’t make me. But more than that, you need my help. So I’m going to help.”

“Wade…” Peter sounded so exhausted and anxious it made Wade’s gut clench.

“First thing’s first. You gotta tell me what’s going on so I know what to do. And don’t worry. Mums the word. You can keep an eye on me constantly if you need to. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not telling anybody. Got it?”

There was a very long pause before Peter asked, “Did you track me through the mutant charity?”

“Yep! Took forever to find this place since you buried it so well. By the way, good on ya for making that charity.”

Peter sighed and sat up, his eyes drooping in exhaustion. “I took on a case personally. A woman by the name of Cassandra. She was a shapeshifter but she only shifted into one form.”

“A spider,” Wade guessed.

Peter nodded. “I had an incident a while back where that happened to me, but I was more of a half-man, half-spider. She could shift completely, however. Still, I figured if there was a way to suppress _my_ genes, I could replicate the formula for her as well.”

“I take it her spider form was dangerous?”

“So was mine. It was a lot of base instinct and it was hard to keep higher brain function when turned. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t still in there.” Peter defended.

“I get it! I get it! Spider instinct is mostly just eat and stay alive. Not your fault. Not hers. Not judging. Promise.”

Looking looked down at his hands, Peter thought about what to say next. “Some of the mutants we funded were different. They didn’t act like the average human. Sometimes that was because they grew up so alone that they never learned to socialize. Sometimes it was because of their mutation.”

Peter looked up into Wade’s eyes before continuing. “I hear all the time about how mutants should be protected because they still maintain their ‘humanity.’ As if that’s the deciding factor on whether or not they should be allowed basic rights. But what if they aren’t human _enough_? What if they’re different? Do we stop caring then?”

“Baby Boy, I’m far from the right person to weigh in on that. I don’t think I’ve dated or been close to a ‘normal’ ‘human’ person in my entire life.” He emphasized the two words with finger quotes. “I would like to remind you that I had a long distance relationship with Death and married a demon once.”

A smile broke out on Peter’s face at that and he couldn’t help a small laugh. “I suppose that’s true.”

“So did this chick turn full spider full time?”

Peter’s face fell and he looked away again. “For a while… She bit me once when she was turned… It somehow reactivated the genes that turned me into the Man-Spider before, though I’m not sure how. More than that, it allowed me to shift completely, like she did.”

Wade’s eyes widened. “Like a were-spider?!”

Peter huffed and threw his arms up helplessly. “I don’t know! I don’t know how it happened, but it did. It was incredibly hard to control at first and without my human self there to help her, we stayed in that form for a while, living on instinct.”

Ticking them off on his fingers, Wade said, “Eat, sleep, survive, fu- Ohhhh!”

Again, Peter tensed. “She had enough of her human mind to not be afraid that I would harm her or to think of me as food. Without the danger of her trying to kill me, mating is extremely easy and almost non-invasive for spiders.”

“So the puppy sized spiders are your kids!” Wade concluded in excitement over figuring out all the puzzle pieces.

“Exactly!” Peter sounded angry again, his voice harsh and clipped. “They’re my children! I won’t let anyone hurt them just because they don’t look _human_ enough!”

“Damn straight!” Wade agreed. “I’ll unalive anybody that tries to lay a finger on their fuzzy little bodies!”

Peter looked up in surprise at that. “What?”

“Baby Boy, I barely count as a human myself. In fact, I had relations with a tentacle monster once.”

“What?” Peter wasn’t at all following Wade’s train of thought.

“The point is, I’m not here to judge. I’m here to help you. Kids are hard, yo! One baby is bad enough and from what I saw earlier, you have a whole collection of them!”

“I… Yeah…” This wasn’t how Peter thought this conversation would go when someone finally found out.

“Is momma spider inside?”

At that, Peter looked stricken and his eyes teared up. “She… She died…”

“Oh, Baby Boy…” Wade did his best to be consoling as he brought Peter back into his arms. The smaller man went without a fight, letting Wade shower all the affection he wanted for a change. It was as good a sign as any how worn out Peter must be.

“I made so many mistakes,” Peter said thickly. “We couldn’t get enough food. I couldn’t produce it fast enough. I didn’t know how to protect them from parasites. We lost so many of them and then- and then-” Peter choked on a sob. “She was so weak. She gave herself to the kids so they would live. I didn’t know what she was doing. I would have stopped her. I would have-”

“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Wade rocked Peter, rubbing one hand up and down the man’s bare back. Inwardly, Wade was cringing a little at the fact that the babies had eaten their mother, but at the same time it was one hell of a sacrifice. Of course it would make Peter extra protective over them. He couldn’t let the mother’s last deed be for nothing.

They stayed like that for a long time as Wade waited out Peter’s grief. Wade wasn’t sure how much more Peter had in him before he would have collapsed. It was too much for one person to bear. Good thing Deadpool was unrelenting when it came to finding people. No matter what Peter said, he needed help.

“Are the babies still hungry? You need me to give an arm or a leg?”

“No!” Peter shook his head and pulled back, angrily wiping the tears from his eyes. “No… I have something set up to produce food for them. I just have a hard time making it fast enough. We used to have goats, but…”

“Used to?”

“They didn’t reproduce fast enough and the kids were so hungry…”

“And you’re afraid to buy more,” Wade summed up.

Peter nodded. “It’s not safe for people to come here. For many reasons.”

“Alright, so you teach me how to do the food production thing and that’ll be my job. Then you can have time to eat, sleep, and work on that cure of yours.”

There was a pause as Peter considered Wade. Seeming to need something more, Peter slowly reached up and slid his fingers under the fabric of Wade’s mask, pulling it off bit by bit, waiting on Wade to stop him.

Wade clenched his jaw and let it happen without complaint. Just because his skin wasn’t leaving open wounds anymore, didn’t mean he was pretty. He was littered with scars and pockmarks. Still, this was something Peter needed and Wade knew it would help build the much needed trust between them.

For a long time, Peter just searched Wade’s eyes, looking for any reason to doubt the merc’s words. “I was the one that called them over to eat you. It wasn’t their fault.”

“I wouldn’t have blamed them if it was,” Wade assured.

“They’re not mindless arachnids.”

“I never said they were.”

“They’re not pets.”

“I understand.”

“They’re my _children_ , Wade.”

“I get you, Petey. I do.” Wade took Peter’s face in his hands. “I’ll do everything in my power to ensure that they’re safe and healthy. I promise.”

Peter’s body sagged in exhaustion before he made a half hearted attempt at humor. “In return, you finally get to see me naked.”

Wade grinned. “And that’s more than I ever deserved.”

There was a weak chuckle in response before Peter whispered, “Thank you, Wade… For being my friend.”

“Just returning the favor,” Wade said happily in return. Now that they were friends again, all felt right with the world.

Wade pushed to his feet and his legs only gave a bit of a twinge at the movement as they were mostly healed by this point. Next, he pulled Peter to his feet and balanced him when he wobbled from exhaustion.

“Alright, Baby Boy! Introduce me to your youngins.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done so much research on spiders for this fic. I don't even _like_ spiders. Sigh. The things I do for fanfiction.
> 
> I don't know what my obsession is with Peter and panic attacks buuut he has SO many of them in this story! #postpardum
> 
> I hope you're not completely weirded out yet because things get stranger yet cuter next chapter. lol Please let me know your thoughts in the comments! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: You don't have a lot of chapters pre-written. You should post in a regular pattern so you can keep up this time. Like once a week or something.  
> Also me: *has no chill*

Being surrounded by a room full of puppy sized spiders was rather intimidating. They all just stood there are stared at Wade. To make the scene worse, there were webs everywhere. Though not in the traditional hollywood fashion of intricately weaved webs hanging from the ceiling. No, the webs were little funnel looking things that were stuck all over the corners and lower parts of the walls. Some of the spiders were still nestled inside of them.

In other places there were thick sheets of webbing covering up windows or doorways. Peter explained that they were traps for when animals tried to get inside. They would act like a net that would surround the animal so that the spider could get to it. They had to take advantage of any wildlife they could that dared enter the house.

Apparently, none of the spiders wove webs in Charlotte style, so Wade wouldn’t be seeing any statements about lovely pigs anytime soon. Peter said their forms were more like ground spiders, which specialized in hunting, jumping, and traps. The little funnels were for protection while they slept or ate.

“How many are there?” Wade asked.

“Thirty-seven.”

“That’s… a lot of babies.”

Peter wrapped his arms around himself and squeezed. “There were eighty-two that hatched.” The pain in his voice constricted Wade’s heart. That was a lot of loss and Spidey never dealt with loss well. Wade side stepped over and wrapped a comforting arm around Peter’s shoulder.

That had an effect. A few of the baby spiders shuffled forward, making that chittering noise Wade had heard yesterday. It caused him to shiver. Peter immediately dropped down and held his hands out to them.

“It’s okay. He won’t hurt me. He’s not going to hurt anyone. I promise.”

One of them shuffled forward a little more, heading towards Peter. One inched its way towards Wade, occasionally shifting its angle to get a good look at him. Wade eyed it cautiously. The rest of the spiders remained immobile.

“Can you tell the gender differences?” Wade asked. He felt slightly bad calling them all “it.”

“There are twenty-two females and fifteen males.”

Female spiders had a bad habit of eating male spiders. Wade wondered if that happened to some of the newborns and that’s why there were mostly females left. He knew better than to ask, though. That was bound to be a touchy subject.

Peter stood back up once more. “Come on, I’ll show you where the labs are.”

Wade followed along diligently, noticing that one spider was still cautiously following him. He couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not. “So you said earlier you told them what to do?”

“It’s… not exactly a language… and I can only do it when I’m fully shifted. It’s just that certain frequencies elicit certain responses. Like preprogrammed functions. However, they seem to pay a lot of attention to when I’m speaking in human form.”

“Well, that’s how babies learn to speak. From listening. Can they shift, too?”

“No. At first I thought it was because they didn’t understand how or were being controlled by their instincts, but that’s not the case. I was able to study their cells in the lab some. They just don’t have the markers to shift. But they _do_ have mutant genes.”

“Huh…” Wade said, not really following what all of that meant. “So do you think your cure will work on them?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. But it’s not a cure, it’s just a suppression of gene characteristics.”

“Of course,” Wade nodded. He didn’t really understand, but Peter had sounded defensive about it, so agreeing was probably best.

They walked into a room that was all white walls, shiny metal tables, and perfect cleanliness, not a spiderweb in sight. There were two sets of doors in order to get to the room and Peter made sure all spiders stayed outside of them.

“Make sure they don’t get in here. I can’t afford to have the equipment compromised.”

“Right-o!” Wade said happily. His little follower stayed right outside the glass doors, still watching him.

The next few hours was spent with Peter going over and over how to make food until Wade understood it. Peter had done the hard part of programing the machines, all Wade had to do was keep things running. The machines would funnel the stuff into vats outside of a large glass wall. The vats had little pipes that stuck out all over them. That was how the spiders got the food out.

The hardest part for Wade to learn was the ratio for the different base ingredients that had to be hooked up to the machines. Peter eventually wrote down an easy to read chart on the wall with a sharpie. In no time, the two of them had everything up and running. It was a lot easier to get things going with two people. After that, Wade could manage the upkeep of them on his own.

“These things I’m hooking up to make the food…” Wade commented as he locked another replacement into a machine. “How many of them do you have?”

“There’s a stockpile of supplies in the basement.”

“Yeah, but… Won’t they need more food as they grow? I mean… You’ll run out eventually?”

“It’s fine!” Peter snapped. This was apparently something Peter’s paranoia refused to think about. Wade made a mental note of it and decided to let it go for the time being.

“You got normal food in your endless stockpile?”

“Yes. Do you need some?”

“I’m good for now. _You_ need some. I got this. Go get food and some sleep.”

Peter stared at Wade for a long time, trying to decide what was best to do in this situation. “Well…”

“Lock me in,” Wade offered.

“What?”

“You’re worried. I get it. So lock me in here. I won’t be able to go anywhere or call anybody. Okay?”

Peter looked insanely guilty as he stared at his feet. “It’s not that I don’t trust you…”

Wade walked over and smooshed Peter’s face between his hands, turning Peter’s lips into oddly puckered fish lips. “I get why you’re paranoid, Baby Boy. It’s fine. Now go eat something before your cheeks are too thin for me to do this.”

Pulling his head back, Peter smacked Wade’s hands away but still didn’t make eye contact. “Okay…”

When Peter left, the latches on the doors clacked behind him. Wade tried not to let that panic him. He didn’t really enjoy being locked up, but he could put up with it for now. So he focused on the machines in front of him. Eventually, the vats would fill up and his job would slow down some as he would only need to maintain the levels after that.

An hour later one of the vats chimed, indicating it was half filled. That caused a sea of spiders to pour into the room on the other side of the glass. They were all fighting for the nozzles in order to get food out. Wade felt sorry for them when that happened. Poor things were starving, it looked like.

Not long after that Peter walked into the same room. He had a pillow and a blanket with him. Walking over to a corner, he propped himself up and snuggled into the wall. In a matter of seconds, he was sound asleep. Wade wished he had his phone to take a picture of how cute that looked.

As each spider took their fill of food, they would shuffle over to the sleeping Peter and curl up on top of him. After another hour Peter was practically hidden underneath a pile of puppy sized spiders. It was obvious that the spiders had an awareness of Peter as a paternal figure.

“Awww!” Wade clapped his hands together under his chin and tilted his head to the side, overwhelmed by the cuteness of it all. “I never thought I’d find giant spiders to be this cute.”

The sight before him should have been enough to convince anyone that the family loved each other and deserved to be protected. However, Wade knew that just wasn’t true. Deadpool had done some atrocious things in his life, yet people were willing to forgive him when he tried to make a change for the better. That was more leniency than almost any non-humanoid mutant had ever been given for a single mistake.

If any of the babies bit someone out of fear, they would be labeled as dangerous. Or if they didn’t understand the difference between food and pets, they’d be labeled as lacking higher brain power. Even Spider-man’s allies would likely want to put them all in zoo-like compound instead of letting them live their lives. Instead of giving them a chance to prove that they were more than just a horror movie plot.

Wade sighed and leaned his side against the glass wall as he watched them. It made sense that Peter was scared. More than that, he had every right to be. But there was no way he would have managed to do this by himself. He would have had a mental breakdown at the very least. Wade wasn’t even sure they could do this with just the two of them.

A spider jumped up between the vats and thunked onto the glass between them. Wade let out an eep of alarm and jumped back, before clutching at his chest. “Give a man a heart attack, why don’t ya?”

The spider twisted around a bit, trying to get a good view of Wade through the glass. He tilted his head at it. He was pretty sure that was the same spider from earlier. Why was it following him?

Lifting one arm, he flapped his hand in a cautious wave. “Hello.”

There was a pause and then the spider lifted one leg and tapped it on the glass as many times as Wade had waved. He gaped at it in shock. Peter had said they didn’t communicate outside of their spider codes, but this was obviously a spider trying to talk to him. Did it know that Wade couldn’t communicate the same way Peter did?

Reaching out, Wade tapped on the glass three times and waited. The spider tapped back three times as well. Getting excited, Wade did it again and again, alternating the numbers of taps to see how much the spider could keep up with. They even traded rhythms, which took a moment for the spider to catch on to, but it eventually did. Wade was stupid level excited over it.

A beep from one of the machines made Wade jump. The cursed and quickly ran over to change things out so everything continued to run smoothly. The spider waited for Wade the entire time. When he came back over, they resumed their game.

Wade wanted to name the spider, but didn’t know its gender. Maybe a gender neutral name? He pondered that for a while until he landed on one he liked: Lee/Leigh. Of course, they were spelled different depending on the situation. Unless it was spelled in the Chinese fashion, in which case it would be Li.

Thus it was decided that the spider’s name would be Li. “Li-Li!” Wade said happily, already prepared with a nickname. He studied its features closely, looking for any discrepancies, in order to distinguish it from the others in the future.

“Hello, Li-Li! My name is Deadpool, aka the Merc with a Mouth, aka the best ass this side of Spider-man. But you can call me Wade.”

Li’s stiff body hairs shifted around as it listened to Wade, as if absorbing the sound of his voice. Wade wasn’t sure how much it heard through the thick glass, but he was just happy to have someone to ramble to. So it was he talked to Li about anything and everything as he went about his job over the next several hours. Li stayed and listened the entire time.

Hours later Li slipped down the glass some before skittering back up. Wade clicked his tongue at Li. “Now baby spider! If you’re sleepy, go to sleep.” He pointed over at the pile of spiders in the corner. “Go cuddle up with your daddy and get some rest.”

It took a few more times of pointing and directing but Li seemed to finally understand. The spider lazily climbed down the glass and then skittered over to the Pile-o-Peter to curl up with the others. It was so cute Wade melted a little for a moment. He watched the scene before him, again wishing he had his camera to save the moment, before he went back to working with the machines.

A long, long time later Peter finally woke up. The spiders exploded off of him, scurrying around this way and that. Many of them hurried over to the vats to eat again as they were both almost full. That wouldn’t last long with so many of them eating. Still, Wade felt confident he could keep up with their needs at this point.

Peter quickly made his way inside the lab, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. “I’m sorry! I was asleep for too long! I shouldn’t have left you in here like that.”

“No worries! I technically don’t have to sleep since I heal the damage from being awake as fast as it happens. I do however have to pee something fierce and I feel we could both use some grub!”

“Yeah…” Peter nodded and stared at the floor as he swallowed repeatedly before finally choking out. “Thank you.”

Walking over, Wade wrapped Peter in his arms. “It’s okay, Baby Boy. I got you.”

For a moment, Peter just shook as he desperately tried to contain his emotions. When he felt in control again, he pulled back with a strained smile. “C’mon. I’ll show you where the bathroom and kitchen are.”

The place was huge, but the layout was easy to follow. Wade was able to map out the areas he needed in his head. He quickly took over in the kitchen and started cooking them large stacks of pancakes with full intentions of making sure Peter ate them all.

“So you’re living on instant pancakes, canned food, and water?”

“No,” Peter mumbled from where he sat on a stool pulled up to the island. “I never had enough time to make the pancakes.”

“Ha! Right. Well, good thing the syrup hasn’t gone bad. You got some pasta in there, too.” Wade nodded at the pantry door. “I can work with that. You need carbs.”

“You don’t have to cook all my meals.”

“Like hell I don’t. Look at you! Wasting away.” Wade whirled around and set a full plate in front of Peter. “Eat up!”

Peter didn’t argue. He just poured syrup over it and dug in. “Do you like making food? Because I feel like that’s going to take up most of your time between me and the kids.”

“I’m cool with that. Though I miss my music keeping me company. You stole my damn phone!” Wade waved the spatula at Peter. “I have an extra set of clothes in my bag, too.”

“Sorry…” Peter mumbled, but he didn’t make eye contact or divulge where he hid Wade’s things.

“How about you just bring me the clothes, then? I dunno if I’m as comfortable as you are about becoming a nudist.”

“This was not by choice,” Peter groused.

“I’m not complaining.” Wade wiggled his eyebrows at Peter before turning back around to flip his pancake.

Peter decided to ignore that and focus on the previous subject. “If you can keep up with making the food, then I can work on my research for the gene trait suppression.”

“Sounds like a plan! I can totally keep up with food production!”

“If I can get them to shift, then they can eat human food. It’ll mean you won’t have to work as hard to keep up the production.”

“And I’ll get to introduce them to _pancakes_!” Wade said excitedly as he sat down with his giant plate of said breakfast perfection.

Peter gave a small smile to that. “Also true.”

“Hey, have you named them?”

Peter tensed. “I… That’s complicated,” he said softly.

“Because you’re afraid of losing them?” Wade tilted his head to the side.

With a sigh, Peter set his fork down. “When they were first hatched I was in spider form a lot, so names weren’t really a thing I even contemplated. I hardly knew my own name. Then after I started gaining more control I was just focused on keeping them healthy. And the first three I named… I lost…”

Wade reached out and gripped Peter’s hand. “It’s okay. We’re going to make sure they’re happy and healthy. Then we can start working on the Christmas sweaters with their names on them.”

A tiny smile tugged at Peter’s lips. “You’re always so confident.”

“Not in everything. But when it comes to taking care of you? Hell yeah, I am.”

Peter finally looked up to meet Wade’s eyes. “I don’t deserve that from you.”

“You deserve way more than that from me. You saved my life, Peter. Made me the person I am today. You didn’t give up on me when the rest of the world did. Even when I lost my shit about your secret identity. After all that, the least I can do is help you and your youngins. I know for a fact you’d do the same for me.”

A tear leaked out and streaked down Peter’s cheek. He gripped at Wade’s hand a little harder. “Thank you. For being such a stubborn and resilient friend.”

Wade grinned. “It’s what I’m good at, Baby Boy.”

~*~

Over the next week they fell into a routine. Wade would make food and Peter would do research. Wade was always having to stop Peter and make sure he ate and slept. Peter would always sleep where the babies could get to him and form a huge pile. The cuteness of that never seemed to lessen for Wade.

Li continued to get attached to Wade, following him around whenever he left the lab or clinging to the window to watch him. Peter had been surprised by that at first, and extremely excited to learn about the tapping game they had played. He had written the details of that in a journal as fast as his hand could move.

Now he would watch them occasionally and smile fondly. “She really likes you.”

Wade had managed to teach Li to continue a rhythm without being prompted first and he would tap back competing rhythms to create a song. The first time it happened, Li had run in circles along the wall, unable to calm down long enough to continue the song. Now she would impatiently tap at Wade until he went to the glass to play.

“We should give her piano lessons! She’ll be a star!”

Peter grinned. “Maybe one day she’ll start creating her own rhythms.”

“Hopefully! We just have to get her used to new sounds overlapping. She _really_ didn’t like it when I beatboxed.”

“I don’t think anybody likes that.” Peter smirked.

“Meanies! The both of you!”

Those were the good times. Peter’s moods would swing drastically at the slightest of stimuli. A lot of that had to do with his shifting problem, though Wade knew from personal experience that trauma contributed a lot as well. That would simply take time for Peter to process.

The really bad times were when Peter lost control and attacked Wade. Usually, those times were Wade’s fault and he could fully admit that. His mouth would go off without a thought and Peter’s anxiety would fly off the handle. Then BAM there was a giant spider trying to attack Wade in full bore fight or flight response.

Wade always healed, but Peter always took on more blame than he should have. Things changed drastically at the end of Wade’s first week there. He had once again asked for his things. Mostly because he wanted the sewing kit he carried around in his pouches in order to fix his suit. Once more, Peter had panicked and shifted.

However, before Peter could bite Wade, Li had jumped between them chittering in a loud, high frequency. At that point, Wade panicked, afraid that Peter’s spider brain would attack the new threat. Wade dove on top of Li and wrapped himself around her squirming form. He braced himself for impact, but nothing happened.

Peeking his head around, Wade looked up at the ginormous spider looming over him. Peter was frozen above them, staring at them in mute contemplation. Then with a shudder, he shrank and twisted until he was back to human form. Immediately, he started crying.

Wade sat up and quickly took hold of Peter’s hand. “Shhh, it’s okay! Nothing happened! You changed back really quick this time!”

Li shuffled over and tapped one leg on Peter’s other hand. Sniffling, Peter moved his hand up to her palps. She ran them along his hand and he returned the motion with his fingers. It seemed to calm Li a lot. Wade just watched it all in silence.

“She challenged me,” Peter whispered, voice thick.

“Over me?”

“Yeah…”

“Awww, I love my little Li-Li, too!” Wade used his free hand to tickle under Li’s “chin” area.

“You thought I was going to attack her.”

“...Were you?” Wade asked very carefully, looking over at Peter.

“I don’t know… I was stunned at being challenged. I still recognized her as my child. But you protected her.”

“I’m not gonna let you do something you’ll regret, Petey. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure all of you are safe. Even from yourselves.”

“I can’t do this without you.” Peter’s voice sounded defeated and broken.

“Nobody could do this alone, Baby Boy. It’s okay. You’re still an amazing dad. It just makes you more amazing to get help when you need it. Okay?”

Peter finally looked up to meet Wade’s eyes. The fear in Peter’s eyes was difficult to look at. “I trust you.”

Wade gave a reassuring smile. “I’ll earn that trust every day from now on. Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just really wanted to have Li in the story already. She's my fav. <3
> 
> I'm on a posting spree. I hope this doesn't bite me in the ass later since I'm in the middle of trying to move. @.@ Oh, well...
> 
> Anywho, I hope you guys like this as much as I do. ^.^' heh


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back when I was still plotting this, the amazing [K_Vader](http://kari-vader.tumblr.com/) read what I had and immediately drew [fan art](https://thatvixenchick.tumblr.com/post/164152529843/created-by-the-amazing-kvader-for-my-fic-cheaper). lol It's based on the second paragraph of this chapter. <3
> 
> Little did I know, that the wonderful [Bexorz](http://bexorz.tumblr.com/post/158445926416/screw-you-thatvixenchick-i-dont-need-any-more) (who you may remember from [this lovely piece](http://bexorz.tumblr.com/post/155536524991/based-on-we-dont-do-normal-nsfw-pete-cant) on my [other story](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8881540/chapters/20361571)) was also drawing something after I officially put this up on AO3. I can't even express how excited it makes me to see such fan art being made of my work. I screamed in happiness! (It just captures Peter so perfectly! Gah!)
> 
> Thank you so much [Bexorz](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bexorz) and [K_Vader](http://archiveofourown.org/users/K_Vader) for being such lovely people and sharing such talented work with me!!! I'm over the moon with all the warm and fuzzies it gives me! I had to post another chapter way too early because I was so excited about it! lol
> 
> And thank you everyone who has shown such interest and positive feedback on this story so far. I hope you continue to love it as much as I do going forward! <3

 (I have spoken to this artist, discussed this with them, have permission from them to show this picture, have permission to talk about this picture, have permission to note and link to the artist who drew it, and am in continuous contact with this artist. Thank you.)

After the incident Peter returned all of Wade’s things, though he asked the merc not to wear the weapons around the kids. That was really code for “guns are a trigger for me” but Wade didn’t call Peter on that. Instead, Wade just wore his pouches and kept his weapons locked up in a room he claimed in the house.

Also, Li took to crawling onto Wade’s back and riding around with him. Her little eyes would peek over his shoulder to watch where they were walking and she would occasionally tap rhythms onto Wade’s back. Since Wade had his phone back, he didn’t hesitate to take all the pictures he wanted of that. He even managed to get Li to wave at the camera once.

Wade was no longer locked into the lab as he was working, which was a relief. The ability to run out for snacks and bathroom breaks made him extremely happy. He was also able to make sure that Peter’s meals were cooked on time. Though often he would have to threaten to bring food into the lab if Peter didn’t leave it in order to eat.

As the babies started eating on a regular basis, their energy levels spiked. They would run around more often and get into trouble. Often they would practice their jumping skills on each other or on Wade. They never seemed to be attacking with any intent to harm, which was an abnormal trait for spiders. Peter was in awe of the fact that the spiders were playing games.

Though Wade was less in awe of it since they never practiced jumping and hunting on Peter. So Peter didn’t have a clear understanding of how on guard Wade had to be just to walk down a hallway. Granted, Deadpool was known for his ninja skills, but usually they involved more maiming. Wade wouldn’t hurt the kids, so that left him constantly dodging them.

One day a group of them joined forces and dropped a web net on Wade. Wrapping him up tight, they brought him to Peter. Their dad was proud and showered them in praises. Wade just cursed a lot. After that, Li took to defending Wade and warning him of impending attacks. It helped a lot.

Their days continued like that until it was routine. At that point, Wade was better able to do things without Peter knowing. Like going into town to buy supplies that they needed. Finding the scraps of clothes and Spider-man suits that Peter had destroyed. Hunting for animals to bring to the babies as special snacks in secret.

What Peter didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Besides, bringing in a few animals helped burn off the energy the babies had and put their hunting skills to good use. It seemed to make them happy. Or at least, as far as Wade could tell. Li never joined in on the hunts, however. She was just content to once more crawl up on Wade’s back whenever he returned. It was a good thing none of them could rat him out.

Wade also set about trying to teach Li morse code. He tried a bunch of different methods, but she wasn’t catching on. So eventually, he ended up creating a flash card program on a computer. Taking pictures of things around the house so that Li would better associate them, Wade matched up the pictures with the morse code word for them. Li never mimicked it, but she would watch the program over and over for hours on end, so Wade stayed hopeful.

Peter’s random shifting lessened and he rarely attacked Wade anymore. His emotions were slowly coming back under his control. He didn’t panic nearly as often and Wade liked to thank himself for that. Peter did however have occasional meltdowns and would be a sobbing mess for hours. Wade did his best to work Peter through the attacks.

In the blink of an eye, time passed. One day Wade was looking at his phone and realized it was spring. With the warming of the weather came a new problem. The growing babies didn’t want to stay in the house any longer. They roamed further and further out, each time Peter would find it harder and harder to call them back.

“They’re getting defiant.” Peter fretted.

“That’s what kids do.” Wade shrugged.

“But it’s not safe!”

“Then we need to come up with some options.”

“There are no options!”

That’s usually how the conversation would end, with Peter barely controlling the onset of another panic attack and leaving Wade to try and devise a plan. They needed to get past Peter’s fear of discovery in order to ensure the future of the kids. However, before Wade could figure out a sneaky way to do that, the worst happened.

A storm was brewing and Peter called them all back inside, but they were missing one. One of the boys. Peter fell into full blown panic mode. It took everything in Wade’s power to convince Peter to stay with the other kids in order to keep them in the house. Wade went in search of the missing child.

And found him. Or what was left of him. Wade couldn’t be sure what had attacked the spider or if the spider had attacked something too big for him to defend against. Whatever the case, there was no coming back from this.

Gathering up the remains, Wade took the kid back to the house. Peter was standing outside, bouncing on the balls of his feet in worry. He spotted Wade the minute the man cleared the treeline. Peter was frozen in shock until Wade was a few feet away. At that point Peter screamed and collapsed, clutching his sides like he was about to fall apart.

With a broken heart, Wade did everything. He gathered wood and made a pire. They had to cremate the remains as burying was too dangerous in case they were discovered. The other kids stayed inside and didn’t fight against Peter’s orders for once. When their small funeral was over, Wade had to carry Peter inside.

The kids stayed with Peter the entire time. They all curled up and slept and didn’t eat as much. Peter was practically comatose the entire time and Wade had to force the man to eat. The whole incident was the deciding factor for Wade. It had broken a part of him deep inside to find that baby in the woods like that. He would uphold the promise he made and protect these children. Even from Peter.

Wade’s plan was easy to execute. Peter couldn’t focus, so making food was about all he could do once he was up and moving around again. So Wade declared that he was going to make rounds in the local area to kill off any predators. That would keep Peter locked up in the lab and occupied, the kids locked in the house, and Wade free reign to do what needed to be done.

~*~

Two months after that horrible day, Wade burst into the lab dressed in full Deadpool gear. He didn’t bother with weapons. They’d be pointless anyways. He threw Peter’s fixed outfit at him. “Suit up!”

Peter blinked at the costume in his hands. “What?”

“I pieced it together from the ones you ripped apart and added velcro in all the right spots. This time it’ll just fall off without you destroying it again.”

“Wade…” Peter said softly. “Where did you get velcro?”

“Peter. We don’t got a lot of time. Put the suit on.”

“What did you do?” Peter looked up in horror.

“You want your secret identity blown? Put on the damn suit, Spidey.”

“Tell me what you did!” Peter screamed.

“Walk and talk.” Wade stood his ground. “Put in on and follow me.”

There was a long silence as they stared each other down. Finally, with shaky hands, Peter put on the suit. “Wade, please…” Peter’s voice trembled but Wade didn’t relent until Peter was fully dressed. At that point he took hold of Peter’s wrist and started walking.

“We’re going to build a safety net around the house. Big enough to give the kids a yard to play in. Right up to the tree line if I can. Like a fence, except they won’t be able to crawl over it.”

“A cage,” Peter said darkly.

Wade scoffed. “A playpen! What? Your kids too good for what every other kid in the world has?”

“And how are we supposed to build it?” Peter’s anger levels were rising again. “Did you call builders?”

“Of course not! I’d have to kill them all to ensure their silence and you would frown on that.”

They were outside and walking across the grass to the tree line. Peter was still allowing himself to be tugged along, but only because he wanted distance between the kids and whatever Wade had done. “We can’t do that by ourselves! Who did you call?”

“A mutant advocate.” They were a good distance from the house at this point and Wade came to a stop, making sure they were enough in the open to still be seen. “An old acquaintance.”

“That means someone that hired you as a mercenary.” Peter ripped his hand from Wade’s grip. “You said you would protect us!” Peter was desperately trying to keep his breathing under control.

“I am!” Wade set his hands on Peter’s shoulders. “People change a lot over the years, okay? You got a shining example of that right here in front of you. I’m asking you to trust me.”

Peter’s entire frame started to tremble. “I do trust you, I just don’t trust your decisions!”

“It’s not that I don’t understand your stance on that,” Wade placated. “I’ve been pretty cray-cray in the past. But I don’t compromise the health and safety of kids.”

“Anyone knowing where we are _is_ compromising their safety!”

“No, pretending like we live in a time bubble with a magical stockroom of refilling and that the kids won’t try to be kids and run out of sight again is compromising their safety!”

“What exactly do you want me to do?!” Peter wailed.

“I’m telling you that right now! Trust. Me.”

Peter choked on air and went to try and claw his mask off. Wade grabbed Peter’s hands and coached the man on breathing slowly. This was a common occurrence and Wade didn’t panic at it nearly as much as he used to. Bit by bit, Peter learned to breathe normally again.

Before anything else could be said a faint humming filled the air. Peter tensed and looked up at the source. Wade turned around and did so as well. High above them was a man gently floating to meet them on the ground, cloak billowing out dramatically. He touched down before them gracefully with arms outstretched and his eyes flicked back and forth between the pair.

“Magneto!” Wade greeted happily. “You always did know how to make an entrance!”

Peter went rigid, not at all happy about who Wade had called in. Magneto seemed to notice Peter’s aggressive posture and raised an eyebrow at it. “You didn’t tell me your emergency mutant case was Spider-man. I did not think he _was_ a mutant.”

“I’m not,” Peter snapped.

“You _weren’t_ ,” Wade corrected, “But you sure are now.” Peter didn’t respond so Wade turned back to Magneto. “Your stance is to help _all_ mutants.”

“Those that need help. Spider-man has a lot of allies, which has been extraordinarily obvious since his disappearance.” Magneto eyeballed Peter who refused to rise to the bait.

“It’s not Spider-man that needs help.” Wade pulled out his phone. He had not informed Peter of his in-town purchases, especially not the fact that he had ordered a keyboard. This may not go over well, but it would definitely convince Magneto of their need for help.

Pulling up the video of Li almost successfully playing chopsticks, Wade waited on it to sink in. Peter made a choking noise at the sound of the video, already realizing what it meant. He was trembling with barely contained outrage by the time Magneto handed the phone back.

“They taught a gorilla to communicate with sign language,” Wade said as he put the phone away. “Taught a parrot to do math. You think that trick is gonna convince anyone that she doesn’t belong in a zoo as well?”

Magneto turned to Spider-man. “She is yours?”

“The mutant gene is in their cells,” he gritted out in response.

“They?”

“A whole classroom full,” Wade said, propping his hands on his hips. “And just like kids, they try to run off. And dangerous things come after them.” Wade softened his voice. “We had a tragedy recently.”

“I am sorry for your loss.” Magneto said to them, and he meant it. Peter inhaled sharply, his shoulders curling in pain.

“We need a way to give them a safe area to roam,” Wade continued. “Kids can’t be locked up indoors all the time. Especially not these kids.”

“What were you thinking?”

“A dome of sorts.” Wade explained the area he wanted it to cover. “Did you notice the pile of titanium?”

“I did.”

“What titanium?” Peter snapped.

Wade rubbed the back of his neck. “I had them deliver it to a totally different location! Don’t be mad!”

“I will help you set up some security if you have the tech,” Magneto offered.

“I bought security cameras,” Wade confirmed.

“You did _what_?!” Peter cried out again.

Magneto distracted the man with another question. “Can they burrow?”

That caught Peter off guard. It wasn’t a question he was expecting. “...Yes.”

“Then I’ll make sure the net goes underground a few feet as well.”

“So a giant metal egg in the middle of a clearing?” Peter said sarcastically. “That won’t be noticed at all!”

“No more than a manor house in the middle of the woods,” Magneto countered to which Peter just ground his teeth.

“And we’ll need a secure way to get in and out,” Wade piped up.

“I’ll see to it.” Magneto lifted into the air once more, out of hearing distance.

“WADE!” Though he might have heard _that_.

“He’s helping!” Wade defended.

“And you couldn’t have consulted me?!”

“No, I couldn’t have. That was the point.”

Peter spluttered indignantly. “He’s a villain!”

“Not these days. Look, he protects mutants that nobody else will. Ones that aren’t ‘human enough’ just like you said. And yeah, part of that is because he hates humans- well, ‘strongly dislikes’ as of recently. But it means he’s going to protect the kids from them.”

“He knows where we are!”

“He knows where a lot of people are, but he never divulges that information. And with that helmet, it can’t even be pulled out of him. Not that anyone would be asking him for your whereabouts since why would _he_ know? See? It’s perfect!”

“It’s not! It’s not perfect! It’s-” Peter’s sides rippled and the velcro strained but before anything further could happen they were both stunned speechless by a metal cylinder slamming into the ground a few feet from them. They both jumped and looked up.

All around them were streaks of flying metal that was slowly forming a honeycomb dome to encompass the clearing. The structure was thin enough to let in light and give a clear view of the scenery, but thick enough to hold off anything or anyone getting too close. Being made of titanium, it should hold up to quite a bit of force as well.

They stood for a long moment and watched the creation of Wade’s plan form around them. This would fix a lot of their problems and it would be a relief for Peter once he got over his panic about Magneto. The kids would probably have fun just climbing around on it, too.

The dome was structurally sound on it’s own, but Magneto added a metal tree near the middle that reached up and branched out to connect to various spots at the top. Seeing that warmed Wade’s heart. “Aww, the kids will love that.”

“The local town will talk about you coming to buy random things. About how you disappear into the woods. They’ll assume you’re a mutant and come hunting for you. Or hire someone to do it. And so much titanium being delivered? You think that won’t be an obvious sign when people are still looking for me?”

“Why would metal be obvious for Spider-man?” Wade rolled his eyes.

“Any unusual activity will be investigated! SHIELD is always keeping an eye out for anything that could be HYDRA oriented!”

“...I’ll give you that one.”

“Wade! They could find us!”

“Let them. They’re not getting through this.”

“Hulk can get through this! Tony can get through this! Thor can get through this!”

“I feel like Thor would be on our side. Have you met his brother?”

“It’s not about sides! The Avengers _think_ they’re on my side and will continue to think that as they ‘do what they feel is best.’”

“Then we just have to find a way to prove to them that you have this under control,” Wade reasoned. “And not prioritizing the safety of the kids is a way to prove that wrong.”

Peter scowled. “I do everything to protect them!”

“No. You do everything out of fear. I’m not blaming you for that, but you just can’t think rationally right now. This is a needed risk.”

“‘Risk’ being the key word! And I know what I’m-”

“I’ve been teaching Li to play chopsticks for months. You never noticed.”

“You hid it from me!”

“Because you can’t be everywhere at once! You can’t keep an eye on all of them constantly. And that’s the point.”

It was a good point and one that was hard for Peter to argue, though his panicking mind seemed to be trying to come up with something anyways. They were distracted again by thunking noises. Looking around they saw Wade’s tiny security cameras being launched into tree trunks and attached to the metal framework of the dome.

“The best wireless cameras in the business,” Wade boasted. “Heavy duty, weather proof, secured frequency that shifts so it can’t be hacked, and all hooked up to the system in the house, my phone, and this fancy watch!” Wade held up his hand to show off the watch with a glued on Hello Kitty border.

“So we can watch the search party coming and still be able to do nothing about it,” Peter complained.

“We can get the kids in the house so it just looks like you being a recluse,” Wade offered.

“That’s not a good enough reason to go into hiding! Or to live in a cage!”

“Nothing’s gonna be a good enough reason for the team of ‘I can fix it.’ But the important part is putting the focus on _you_ and not the kids.”

“He’s right.” Magneto floated back down to address them both. “If anyone comes looking for you, put the focus on yourself. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye out for any adamantium I can take to reinforce what’s here.”

Peter frowned. “Don’t go taking it out of someone’s body.”

Magneto looked amused at that. “As much as I daydream of that, I haven’t and would never.”

“Why are you doing this?” Peter just couldn’t let go of his suspicions.

“Because I know what it is like to lose family simply because you are different.”

That seemed to finally silence Peter’s protests. So Wade asked the more pertinent question. “Where’s the entrance?”

There was a tunnel that lead out into the woods that went underneath the dome. It was secured on both ends with heavy hatch doors and hidden by a patch of earth. There was already an access panel in place, but it wasn’t set up. Magneto waved his hand at it. “I assume that’s what you wanted me to do with that.”

“Yep!” Wade said happily. “You’re a saint!”

Magneto lifted an eyebrow at that. “Let me know if there is anything else that you need.”

“Will do!”

“Thank you,” Peter said quietly.

“They are lucky to have you as their father, Spider-man. You are a good person.”

Thankfully, Peter didn’t have to find anything to say to that as Magneto left directly afterwards. The metal bent to allow him passage and reformed after he had floated through. The other two watched until he was out of sight. At that point, Wade set to work on the access panels.

“Do you want a number key code, thumbprint, or retina scan?”

Peter dropped his head onto Wade’s shoulder in exhaustion. “I want a nap.”

Wade turned and wrapped his arms around Peter. “I’m sorry to stress you out so much, Baby Boy. I promise this is a good idea.”

“I know…” Peter whispered as he melted into Wade’s chest. “Please don’t leave us.”

“I’m always gonna be right here. You can count on that.”

 

(I have spoken to this artist, discussed this with them, have permission from them to show this picture, have permission to talk about this picture, have permission to note and link to the artist who drew it, and am in continuous contact with this artist. Thank you.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Magneto is not the only person I'll end up doing character studies on, probably. Heh. I'm in love with delving into character psyche and this fic is mostly indulgent anyways. So yay!
> 
> As tagged, this'll be slow burn but kinda sorta relationship stuff happens next chapter. Like a smidgen of it. lol Stay tuned!


	5. Chapter 5

Magneto dropped by twice more. The first time with reinforcing metal from what he claimed was a “convenient trip to Wakanda” and the second time with supplies Wade had requested. The second visit stayed unknown to Peter who was still dealing with his panic over Magneto in the first place. Thankfully, Magneto didn’t take it personally.

During the visit he also brought some treats for the kids and watched with Wade as they hunted down a whole pack of [coypu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coypu) around the large yard. Magneto had an indulgent smile on his face the entire time.

“Ya know, I thought me and Spidey would be the only ones to find this sort of thing cute.”

“I enjoy watching them embrace their instincts.” Magneto nodded his head at Li who stayed perched on Wade’s shoulder. “I notice not all of them indulge in such things.”

“Li-Li is different,” Wade acknowledged and lifted one hand to lightly rub against her fur. “Some of them are more into hunting than others. Different strokes for different folks.”

Magneto let out a noncommittal noise and simply watched the children for a while longer before moving on to a different topic. “Are you sure those supplies will last you?”

“They won’t, but I’m working on that. I just wanted a few things to help with the cooking for now.”

“As a person who has a lot of experience trying to hide, Spider-man can’t keep this up forever.”

“I just need more time. I got a plan.”

“I’ll drop a few false leads to his whereabouts to throw people off his trail. However, if you are ever backed into a corner, call me. I will help.”

“Awww, you’re so sweet for a former villain!” Deadpool simpered.

Magneto rolled his eyes, gave a farewell to Li and then floated away. Wade waved at the man excitedly and Li did her best to mimic the movement.

If Wade could get one of the kids to learn how to communicate, it would help a lot. Li was the obvious choice with her penchant for learning patterns and her calm nature. He could make her the face of all the kids and convince anyone who met her that she was just as intelligent as anyone else. At that point, getting people to help protect them and bring supplies would be an easier task.

As long as Wade could get Peter to overcome his paranoia. That would just take time, patience, and unrelenting nagging from Wade. Which, frankly, was Wade’s specialty. After all, that was how they became best friends in the first place.

When summer arrived, Wade found a rather forlorn looking Peter sitting at the table in the kitchen and poking at a bowl of oatmeal. His eyes were distant enough that he didn’t even notice Wade sit down until the merc cleared his throat. Snapping back to attention, Peter blushed a little and attempted to take a bite of his now cold breakfast.

Wade reached over and plucked at Peter’s shirt. “How’s the velcro working?”

“It’s fine, thank you.” Peter smiled, appreciative of being able to wear clothes again. 

Wade had gone through everything he could find and patched together a few outfits and lined them all with velcro or snap buttons. They weren’t fashionable, but Peter was no longer nude.

Much to Wade’s disappointment.

“No chafing? They fit okay?” Wade asked with a smile, sporting casual clothes of his own. He’d bought them in town but they didn’t talk about it since Peter was still not okay with Wade’s rare outings.

“They’re great. Really. I’m just happy I can cover up again.”

Wade propped his head onto one hand, elbow on the table, and gave Peter an inviting smile. “So what’s on your mind, Petey?”

Peter frowned and looked back down at his mess of oatmeal. “I’ve been controlling the changes a lot better lately. I’ve only had a few incidents in the past month. Even then, I found myself better able to think while shifted.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

Peter sighed and leaned back in his chair, finally dropping his spoon and abandoning any further attempts to eat. “It is, yeah…”

“Then why do you look so broody?”

“I…” Peter fretted with his fingers. “I figured out how to suppress the shifting genes.”

Wade’s eyes widened in surprise. Peter had been working on that almost non-stop since Wade arrived. Figuring out the problem should have left Peter cheering and dancing up and down the hallways. Wade mulled that over a bit in his head.

“So, do you not have the stuff you need to make it work? Or does it kill you or something? Take away your other powers, maybe?”

“No! It works fine.” Peter waved his hands at Wade to cut off any further guesses. “And I have the tech to make what I need. It’s just…”

“Just?”

Peter lifted conflicted brown eyes to meet Wade’s. “If I can’t shift, I won’t be able to communicate with them on their level anymore.”

“Ah!” Wade leaned back in his own chair and shrugged. “So don’t use it.”

“What?” Peter blinked at Wade in shock.

“If you’re learning how to keep your higher brain function while shifted, then keep working on that. That way you’ll have better control and still be able to talk to them. Maybe even learn to form your own spider language!” Wade grinned in excitement at the idea.

Peter frowned back in return. “What if I can’t learn to do that?”

“Then your formula ain’t goin’ anywhere. If something bad happens, you use it. If not, then keep going like this. You’re getting control over yourself again, you can’t hurt anyone out here, and I’m here to keep things on track. What’s the problem?”

Tears started to fill Peter’s eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. “You don’t think it’s weird that I want to stay a monster in order to have just a few limited speech options?”

“I think it makes perfect sense to want to keep any connection you can to your kids.” Wade reached out and took Peter’s hand. “That makes you a parent, not a monster.”

Peter gave a tremulous little smile as he closed his eyes and squeezed Wade’s hand in return. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Wade had to stomp on the urge to lean forward and kiss Peter senseless. Since showing up at the manor house, Peter had accepted a lot more touch than Wade had ever been allowed previously. A lot of that was due to Peter’s emotional instability and need for comfort. Wade promised himself that he would provide that and under no circumstances take advantage of it. 

Still, he was progressively finding that harder and harder to accomplish. Peter was too cute for his own good and Wade was starved for affection in his own way. Not to mention the boxes would regularly argue that giving Peter a mind melting night of hot sex would help relieve some of the man’s tension. Wade agreed, but he also knew Peter. If Wade made things awkward between them, there was a good chance Peter would pull away. Wade would be devastated if that happened, so he never could justify the risk.

“So what’s the plan now?” Wade asked in order to distract himself.

Peter took a deep breath in and out before blinking his eyes open. Wade watched at they shifted from emotional to focused. Peter was back into science-mode. “The research I’ve already done provides a solid basis I can use for the kids. There’s a good chance I can find a way to help them shift.”

Wade ginned in excitement. “Then let’s get to work!”

 

~*~

 

As Peter worked on the gene manipulation, Wade worked with Li more. Sometimes some of the other kids would watch their interaction, but they rarely joined in. Wade had hope for Li, but she didn’t seem to understand the concept of vocabulary. After a while, it felt like she was just coddling Wade in the odd games he wanted to play.

So Wade started insisting that Peter spend more time outside the lab and with the kids. Sure, spiders were independent, but if they wanted them to be able to interact well with others, they needed to learn more about human traits. Peter agreed to the idea and the two adults would engage in very simple conversations while surrounded by a room full of spiders.

By the time autumn rolled in, Li was successfully pointing to objects when prompted. She still refused to tap out the morse code word, no matter how many times Wade tried, but it was a start. However, she did start making her own sign for when she was hungry. Peter noticed it first.

“She moves her palps in a specific pattern when she wants to eat.” Peter was excited about the development and recorded all of it in one of his trusty notebooks. He learned to mimic the movement with his fingers and taught it to Wade. Within the week, three other kids had learned the sign and were using it.

That spurred them into action and they started coming up with other signs. Simple things like a sign for “Peter”, “Wade”, “outside”, and “inside.” A month later most of them were using the signs regularly and effectively. Though one of the boys seemed to just like making all of the signs rapid fire for no reason as many times as he could. He was also one of the kids who liked to ambush Wade as often as possible. Wade decided he was just a brat.

“I think I’ll name him Logan,” Wade declared, hands on his hips as he tapped his foot at the troublemaker.

“You will not!” Peter argued as he dropped down to run soothing hands over the excitable spider. “Besides, I already named him Nick.”

“Nick is a boring name!” Wade whined.

“You named half of them! They’re  _ my _ kids!”

“I would give you that if I didn’t know you were naming him after Tesla,” Wade huffed and crossed his arms. “At least give it to one of the smart ones.”

“Tesla may have been a genius, but he was a troublemaker in his own right. It fits.” Peter stuck his nose in the air in a way Wade knew meant that there was no winning this argument. Peter could be extraordinarily stubborn sometimes.

Not that Wade had much room to talk.

As the season came to a close and winter loomed ahead, Peter finished his project. He was confident that the serum would work, but was nervous about having to test it on the kids. Testing things on himself or others who knew the risk were one thing, but on kids who couldn’t understand what was being asked? That was a problem.

Enough of a problem that Peter fretted over it for days. It threw him back into another episode of not sleeping, barely eating, and obsessing over the health of the kids constantly. He did a full physical on each child, meticulously groomed them, and made sure all of them were eating proper amounts. He also gave each other them as much alone time as he could to assess their social needs.

Wade finally had to intervene when the bags under Peter’s eyes grew into dark bruises and he was jumping at every noise, terrified that someone was sneaking around the house. 

“You’re hallucinating because you haven’t slept!” Wade snapped as he yanked Peter to his feet.

“I’m fine!” Peter argued, angry and frustrated. “I just need to do a sweep of the house-”

“I have security cameras for a reason, damn it!”

Peter yanked out of Wade’s grasp and tumbled backwards into a wall, barely managing to hold himself upright. “Don’t act like I’m paranoid! It’s your fault people are on our trail!”

Wade knew that accusation was irrational and meaningless due to Peter’s augmented state of reality, but he couldn’t help getting angry over it. “Sure! Because it would have been  _ totally _ better for someone  _ else _ to find your trail years after me and find you dead while surrounded by giant spiders!”

“That wouldn’t have-”

“It  _ would _ ! Because you don’t fucking take care of yourself, damn it! What the fuck do you think would have happened if someone found you in the shitty state you were in before? How would you have managed to do anything but get all of you killed by attacking the group trying to rescue you?!”

Peter blinked large and angry eyes at Wade as he processed the shouted words. The air was filled with silence and the harsh breathing of both men. Finally, Peter’s breath hitched and he slid down the wall, burying his face in his hands. “I’m a terrible father!”

The sound of Peter’s sobs caused Wade’s heart to wrench painfully in his chest. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Peter. “You’re not. You’re a good father. You just try to do too much.”

“I’m not doing enough!” Peter wailed. “I don’t spend enough time with them! I don’t stimulate their minds! I barely keep up with their health!”

“Shh...” Wade rocked Peter back and forth in his arms, one hand running rhythmically up and down Peter’s back. “Kids are an impossible task and no parent thinks they’re doing everything right. I promise.”

“I-I  _ know _ I’m not-”

“Stop,” Wade’s voice was caring but firm. “Don’t do this to yourself, Peter. You’ve worked yourself to the bone to do what’s right. You’ve done everything for these kids. What I need you to do now is let me take care of  _ you _ .”

Another sob ripped out of Peter and it took a long moment for him to catch his breath in order to speak again. “Why do you put up with me?”

Wade’s arms tightened their grip. “You know why…” he said quietly.

“I’ve been so cruel to you in the past. Judged you based on your reputation. Used you when I was lonely. Didn’t trust you. I’ve attacked you countless times since you found me here…” Peter choked and tried to breathe.

“I’m not perfect, either.”

“Why stick around? Why not just push me off on someone else?”

“One, because I love these kids. Two, because I-” but Wade cut himself short. The knowledge of it hung between them, but Wade couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“Why? Why me?” Peter insisted.

Wade sighed and pulled back enough so he could grab Peter’s tear stained face. “I could give you a thousand reasons, but you’re not gonna listen in the state you’re in right now.”

Peter searched Wade’s clear blue eyes for a long time as his sobs lessened, though tears still ran down his cheeks. “You’re not going to leave?” Peter whispered.

“Never.”

“You promise?”

“You couldn’t make me if you tried.”

Closing his eyes, Peter covered Wade’s hands with his own, allowing Wade’s to bask in the warmth of cheeks and palms. “I’m scared…” Peter’s voice was fading, his body drooping further towards Wade.

“I know, but I’m here to protect you.”

“I’m tired…”

“I’m going to put you in a real bed so you can get some real sleep.”

Peter’s eyes snapped open at that, tension flooding his limbs again. “I should sleep with the kids. They deserve more attention from me-”

“Nope!” Wade didn’t even wait for the argument, just yanked the smaller man into his shoulder and stood up, pulling Peter into a fireman’s carry, and started walking. “No can do! You’re going to sleep.”

“Put me down!” Peter demanded, his head reeling from suddenly being upside down and his tired brain struggled to orient himself.

“The vats are full and everyone passed the health check. In fact, most of them are already asleep themselves. And  _ you _ , young man, are going to sleep in a bed even if I have to tie you up in your own webbing to do so.

“Wade!”

Kicking a door open, Wade walked into the nearest room with a bed and bumped the door shut with his hip. “Do you trust me?”

“I…”

Wade dropped Peter onto the bed and watched as the formidable Spider-man clung to the sheets in dizziness. “Do you trust me?” Wade repeated.

Peter’s eyes finally refocused on Wade. “Of course I do-”

“Then lay the fuck down and go to sleep! Trust me to keep all of you safe and healthy!”

“But-”

“No buts!” Wade turned around and started walking away. He didn’t actually intend to leave the room, just turn off the light, but Peter’s hand shot out and gripped Wade’s wrist a little too hard.

“Wait!”

Wade turned around and blinked down at Peter in surprise. “What’s wrong?”

Peter’s face was red and his eyes dropped to the sheets. “I… I haven’t slept alone in-” Peter swallowed and tried again. “I always dream of my apartment when I’m by myself. It was huge and undecorated and empty…”

Even though Peter’s voice grew small and trailed off, even though he didn’t say it in so many words, Wade was fully aware of what was being asked. Pulling his hand from Peter’s grip, he stripped off his shirt and prepared himself for the biggest test of self control in his life.

“Scoot over and get comfy,” Wade ordered and Peter obeyed, stripping off his clothes with the excuse that he didn’t want to be stabbed by the velcro and nestling under the covers. Wade was quite sure Peter had just gotten used to being naked after so long, but neither of them broached the topic.

Shucking his shorts and leaving the underwear, Wade crawled into the bed as well and scooted over until he was flush with the other man’s warm body. Even though Wade had no intention to act on his desires, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy this situation as much as he possibly could.

Peter tensed a little when he was firmly wrapped in Wade’s arms, his back pressed against Wade’s lightly textured chest. Still, it wasn’t long before warmth, exhaustion, and a feeling of safety started melting his limbs and pulling at his consciousness. He didn’t even flinch at the feel of Wade’s lips pressing softly against his hair.

“Sleep,” Wade whispered as Peter’s eyes fluttered closed.

Finally, Peter slept, and continued to sleep soundly through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coypu’s are large water rat things that eat vegetation and have very few natural predators due to their tough hide. They can become a serious problem if they overpopulate. So thanks for being environmentally conscious about your gifts, Magneto! :-D
> 
> In this chapter I wanted to delve into Peter's decision to stay a mutant. In the past, he struggled and fought against the concept of being a mutant, especially since his mutated form was intellectually lacking and based mostly on instinct. (We know from alternate earth sagas that there's an Earth where mutated Spidey is still a hero, so the ability to regain higher brain function while still accepting his more spider-like mind was a possible outcome.) Peter's intelligence is a big part of his identity and his ability to control himself and logic out the world around him kept him grounded. This lack of control was something he had to come to terms with since the shifting gene resurfaced and then he had to consider what he would sacrifice for his kids. He also obsessed over what others would think of him for choosing such a taboo path when Peter was still working on an option to make the kids more human-like.
> 
> However, Wade is not one to complicate things. He doesn't really care if the communication Peter has is simplified and instinctual. He doesn't care if everyone else thinks of the family as "other" when in a spider form. What matters is that connection between them all and doing what you can to make everyone happy.
> 
> Which is why I think Wade is good for Peter. :-D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relationship stuff happens this chapter! YAY!
> 
> (Moving is _killing_ me. T.T Booooo)

By mid-winter the kids were becoming lethargic, eating less, and staying inside a lot. This was mostly due to the weather, but Peter still fretted over it. He spent a lot of time looking after their health and making sure food was always prepared. This left Wade with more free time and he spent that time cleaning up the trap nests that covered the yard. Sure, they’d be back in no time, but at least the house looked less like a haunted mansion for the moment.

Wade also took on a new daily task which was getting Peter to sleep. This involved a lot of mostly nude cuddling, which really Wade shouldn’t be complaining over, but… Well, his libido was unhappy about the nearness of Peter and the lack of activities. Wade knew Peter had more than once felt the hard press of Little Wade against his back, but had yet to acknowledge it at all.

Like usual, Wade’s insecurities had a field day with that and convinced himself it was due to his appearance. Logically, that made no sense. Peter often found comfort in being able to see Wade in casual clothes, and being able to look into Wade’s blue eyes to determine what the merc was thinking. That was proven time and again, but Wade still had to fight himself from putting his suit back on. If he did, Peter would ask, and Wade would answer, and Peter would feel guilty, and Wade didn’t want to think about what might happen next.

So, Wade suffered in silence. With his arousal and with his self hate. In the meantime, he distracted himself with tasks around the house and doing what he could to give the kids activities they could handle. The adults also debated at length about when and if they should use the serum to help the kids shift.

“Li has been trying to mimic us as best she can. She’d be happy to shift. We should try it on her first. It’s what she’d want.” To prove his point, Wade held up his hand and Li tapped a leg against it in a high five.

Peter, sitting across from them where they all lounged on the floor, worried at his bottom lip. “Even when all the science checks out, there’s still a risk.”

“What minimizes the risk?”

One hand scrubbed through messy brown hair that was getting too long as Peter sighed. “Early intervention. I’d have to constantly monitor her while the serum did its job. That would require her to sit still while being surrounded by lab equipment.”

“If anyone could do that, Li could.” Wade said in complete confidence as he ran his hands along Li’s fur in the way she enjoyed.

In a flash of realization, it occurred to Wade that Li was no longer puppy sized. She was more small dog sized. They all were. Sometimes it was hard to notice them growing when living with them constantly. “You’re getting big,” Wade mentioned to Li with a grin.

Li’s palps slowly shifted around in contentment as she crawled up into Wade’s lap and settled down. Peter gave her an indulgent smile. “I still find it cute how attached she is to you.”

“No parent jealousy?” Wade teased.

“It’s okay. I have thirty-five other kids who love me more.” Peter had a sassy little smirk on his face that Wade couldn’t help but chuckle at.

“You sure do like to win.”

“It’s a character flaw.” Peter shrugged one shoulder and laughed. He probably thought he was being cute, but Wade knew from personal experience how much said “character flaw” ruled over Peter’s stubbornness.

They were thoroughly distracted from their conversation when Wade was hit full force in the back of the head by Nick. Li immediately jumped up and chittered at Nick who was trying to web up Wade’s hands before they could grab him. Peter snatched up Li with a worried “Don’t bite!” as Wade grappled the problem child into submission.

“You got years to go before you can keep up with me!” Wade crowed as he pinned Nick into place.

“Don’t hurt him!” Peter scolded as he clutched a thrashing Li to his chest.

“He ain’t hurt!” Wade snapped as he tried to use Nick’s own webbing against him. “Shit, this stuff is stickier than yours!”

“Of course it is,” Peter said in exasperation. “Mine is man-made, theirs is natural.”

“Gah!” Wade jerked back and Nick ran for it. “The little shit tried to pee on me!”

“Don’t cuss in front of the kids.” Peter meant to sound scolding but his voice came out a little too amused.

“Don’t laugh!” Wade complained as he turned around and took Li in his arms in order to sooth her. Peter’s doubled over a little as he tried to contain his laughter. “You wouldn’t find it near as funny if they did it to you!”

Peter grinned. “They can’t do it me. I have spidey sense.”

“How convenient for you!” Wade pouted, but it was all for show. Seeing Peter smile so easily had been worth the trouble. Maybe Nick knew what he was doing. After all, every time he attacked Wade, Peter ended up glowing with fatherly pride or laughing at Wade’s expense. Wade could put up with a bit of hassle in order to see Peter relax more often.

Wade looked down at Li who was finally settling down against his chest. “And where’s your spidey sense, huh?”

Li ignored that, Wade sighed, and Peter chuckled at them. It was a less eventful rest of the day after that.

 

~*~

 

By the next morning Peter was still waffling on his decision to give Li the serum. Left to his own devices, he likely would never end up making the choice. So Wade intervened and put his foot down, declaring that they _should_ in fact use it and use it that day. No time like the present.

Unsurprisingly, Peter flew into a hyperventilating panic.

“I can’t lose her!” Peter wrapped his arms around himself and backed away from Wade. They were still alone in one of the bedrooms, away from the kids in order to have the heavy discussion.

“You’re not! You’re helping her!” Wade gave chase and took hold of Peter’s shaking shoulders. “You’re helping all of them. The ability to shift will keep them safe.”

Peter struggled to take in air and Wade calmly talked him through how to breathe again. Peter hadn’t had a panic attack this bad in months. Wade saw that as a good thing, but it also made the current attack all the more stark in contrast to Peter’s good days. Still, Wade wasn’t about to back down. If they paused every time Peter had an attack, they’d never get anywhere.

“Wade, please. I don’t know yet. I don’t know if I can-”

“The result will be the same if we do it now or if we wait.”

“What if I mess it up?”

“I’ll be there to help.”

“You’re not a scientist!”

“But you are! You know what you’re doing-”

“No, I don’t! It’s all my fault! They’re dead because of me!” Panic often caused a spiraling list of things Peter blamed himself for and Wade always struggled to keep him focused.

“It’s nothing like what happened in the past. You’re focused and ready and-”

“I can’t!”

“Petey-”

Strong hands gripped at Wade’s arms hard enough to cause damage. “I can’t-” Peter’s eyes widened. “I can’t breathe,” he wheezed. “Help.”

Wade cursed. He needed to snap Peter out of it, shock him with something. Or should he just comfort him until it passed? Was Peter about to shift? Wade had no idea how to fix this.

“You did nothing wrong. Nothing bad will happen. Calm down.” Wade did his best to keep his voice soothing. “I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

Peter curled in closer to Wade, eyes wild, chest heaving in shallow breaths, his whole body trembling. Peter’s mouth moved, but he couldn’t get words past his lips. The boxes were screaming at Wade to do something and offering no help of their own. Mind stalling in his own version of panic, Wade reacted on an instinct he really shouldn’t have.

Leaning forward, Wade pressed his lips firmly to Peter’s. It certainly had an effect. Peter’s body stopped trembling and went utterly still with shock. His chest stopped heaving, though. In fact, he stopped breathing all together. His eyes, however, were still wide and panicked.

Wade jerked back, heat flooding his face as his mouth flapped, trying to find words of apology and failing. After another frozen second, Peter sucked in a deep breath, and then another. His eyes never left their rounded examination of Wade’s flustered face, though.

“I-I’m sorry. I panicked. Please don’t be mad!” Wade finally managed to spit out in a rush.

Peter’s painful grip loosened and Wade nearly had a panic attack himself. This was it. This was the awkward moment Wade had been trying so hard to avoid. Peter was going to pull away, shut Wade out, end the friendship, demand that Wade leave.

“Please don’t make me leave!” Wade sounded pathetic to his own ears, childlike and pleading, on the verge of tears. He couldn’t do anything about it. He was happy to get down on his knees and beg for mercy if it meant making this whole moment disappear.

Abruptly, Peter shoved his face into Wade’s chest with enough force the merc stumbled back a few steps. Peter kept pace and wrapped his arms around Wade in an unrelenting grip. “You promised to stay!” Peter’s muffled accusation was still plenty loud enough to hear.

“I’ll always stay,” Wade said carefully, gently wrapping his arms around Peter in return. “If you’ll have me.”

“You’re not allowed to leave!”

“Even if I kiss you?” It was stupid to bring it up, stupid to obsess over it, but Wade needed to hear it. Needed to know what exactly Peter thought of Wade’s unspoken feelings.

There was a long pause before Peter asked, “Did you do that just to snap me out of it?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Because I have to stop myself from kissing you everyday all day.” Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why couldn’t he keep his big mouth shut? Why get all honest so suddenly? Why was he backing Peter into a corner when that was exactly what Wade was afraid of doing?

Peter pulled back just enough to be able to breathe properly and to speak into open air instead of Wade’s solid form. His eyes were cast down, staring intently at the floor. “I’m a mess,” he whispered.

“I know.”

“No, Wade. I’m a mess. I don’t even know…” Peter shook his head, unable to find the words.

“You don’t know what you want, or why you want it, and those feelings change at the drop of a hat, which isn’t helped by your constant self doubt and insecurity?”

Peter looked up in surprise, finally meeting Wade’s eyes again.

“I’ve been there,” Wade admitted quietly. “Hell, I’m probably there right now, it just doesn’t shift by the hour anymore. But the only thing I’ve ever been consistent about… is you.” Wade looked away, unable to handle intimate eye contact given the topic of conversation. “That means something to me and I get that you can’t reciprocate, but I’d be really grateful if you could just let me have these feelings and pretend like everything’s normal.”

“I’ve already been doing that,” Peter responded in complete seriousness.

Hearing that shouldn’t have felt as painful as it did, but Wade forcefully shoved such disappointments aside. This was as good as he was going to get and this was what he wanted. He had no right to complain when he was forcing his feelings on someone so lonely and emotionally unstable.

“I’m using you.” Peter’s voice was flat and to the point.

“That’s fine…”

“It’s not fine.”

“Peter…” Wade sighed and closed his eyes. “You are not obligated to-”

“Damn it, Wade!” Peter suddenly exploded and Wade’s attention quickly snapped back over to Peter’s very murderous looking face. “Shut the fuck up for once in your life, will you?”

Wade blinked. “What?”

“We’ve been acting like a damn couple since we started teaming up on a regular basis. People fucking commented on it!”

It was true, there was the occasional bad guy that made a snarky quip about it, but Wade didn’t know why that was relevant.

“Now we’re co-parenting kids, and you’re a fucking pillar of emotional support, and you dote on me any chance you get, and we _sleep_ together, damn it!”

“I-I’m sorry. If you want me to stop-”

“Shut _up_ !” Peter ground his teeth as his fists gripped the back of Wade’s shirt hard enough it was liable to rip apart any moment. “I’m saying that the asshole here is _me_ ! We’re _in_ a damn relationship already! The only reason we haven’t talked about it is because I’m scared!”

“You’re afraid of me? But I would never-”

“You’re insufferable!” Peter shouted, stunning Wade into silence once more. “That’s not what I said!”

There was a pause where Peter just breathed heavy, angry breaths and Wade found himself suddenly awkward about their intimate position considering Peter’s very obvious fury. “I don’t understand…”

“Do I have to spell it out for you?” Peter literally stomped his foot and then immediately blushed in embarrassment over it, but his anger refused to subside. “I’m afraid of intimacy and I’m afraid of being alone and I’m one big contradiction but I’m using you to fulfill my emotional needs while hiding from the reality of it! There! I said it! Are you happy?!”

Well that was a development Wade hadn’t expected and it took a while for his brain to process it. In the meantime, Peter’s rage tapered off and he fidgeted, looking painfully ashamed of his outburst and terrified of his own confession. Wade figured the best thing to do was admit something in return.

“I assume everyone rejects me and anyone who talks to me is just putting up with me. My mind can’t break that cycle and everything anyone tells me I twist to fit my own doubt.”

Peter let out a long sigh and his shoulders drooped. “That means we have to talk to each other honestly on a regular basis.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it either…” Peter looked off to the side in thought, eyebrows furrowed in a way Wade found oddly cute. When the silence stretched too long and the tension grew too much, Peter awkwardly asked, “What are you thinking?”

“That I want to kiss you again.”

Peter looked back up at Wade with one eyebrow cocked.

“Sorry…” Wade immediately muttered.

“Okay.”

“What?”

“You can.”

Wade gaped. “What?!”

“I can’t promise you anything. I can’t promise _anyone_ anything. I’m going to be a pain in the ass for the foreseeable future and I’ll probably freak out about this later. However, if you’re willing to put up with my crazy, then I’m willing to put up with yours. And for right now, I’m okay with a kiss.”

“I’m always okay with putting up with your crazy.” Wade’s voice was tinged slightly in awe and Peter smirked a little at it. “...Just one?”

“Just one,” Peter verified.

“Then I’ll make it count.”

Wade lifted one hand and slowly combed his fingers into Peter’s hair, letting it settle in the mass of brown in a way he’d only dreamed of being able to do. His thumb gently brushed over the ridge of Peter’s cheekbone, relishing the feeling of Peter’s smooth skin. Peter didn’t flinch, or pull away, or look at all uncomfortable about it. He simply watched Wade’s face and waited.

Inch at a time, Wade dropped his face down, giving Peter every opportunity to run, but Peter stayed exactly where he was. When Wade got too close, those brown eyes fluttered shut, eyelashes twitching almost nervously. Wade paused for a moment to watch them, almost mesmerized by the movement, before focusing on Peter’s lips. Lips he hadn’t fully appreciated in his quick kiss earlier.

This time, Wade took his time. He brushed their lips together light enough to tickle in order to assess every reaction Peter might have. Wade made notes about Peter’s breath and how tense his muscles were, and how rigid his posture. If Peter twitched at the tickling feeling or if he leaning into it, and at the heat put off by Peter’s body and breath.

Then Wade pressed down further, looking for every detail of how well their lips molded to one another. Peter’s shoulder blades relaxed and his breathing stilled, his entire focus seeming to fall into the feeling of Wade’s careful exploration. Wade kept the kiss simple, lingering but chaste, staying only long enough that his lips felt warmed by Peter’s heat.

When Wade pulled back, his eyes were wide with realization as he stared at the relaxed face in front of him. “I kissed Spider-man…” Wade breathed.

Peter’s eyes snapped open and focused a very intense look on Wade’s face. It felt so overwhelmingly predatory that Wade couldn’t help but tense up and swallow nervously. There was a long beat of silence and then suddenly Peter launched forward, looking fully intent on ripping Wade’s face off.

A small eep of alarm escaped Wade’s throat, but he didn’t back away. Which ended up a good thing. It ended up a _very_ good thing.

For Peter’s mouth was on his again, but this time the kiss wasn’t nearly to slow and hesitant. It was full of passion, heat, teeth, and tongue. Wade was so stunned that it took a moment for him to kiss back, but kiss back he did. They warred with each other, both trying to get the upper hand as they devoured the other’s mouth.

Wade’s hand gripped harder at Peter’s hair as Peter pressed their bodies tighter against each other. The heat pouring off of Peter felt almost suffocating, but Wade was more than happy to bask in it. Peter’s tongue was on his and he tasted like heaven and Wade would never be able to find his fill of that sensation.

Suddenly Peter yanked back, breaking the kiss and stumbling out of Wade’s arms, breathing heavily. Wade wasn’t sure what kind of face he made, but when Peter looked up at it, he immediately shot a hand out and grabbed Wade’s in a firm grip. They took a moment to just breathe and think rationally again.

“Good?” Peter finally asked in order to fill the silence.

Wade nodded, still slightly dazed. “And a lot of other stronger synonyms.”

“Yeah… Yeah…” Peter looked down at their hands for a long moment before speaking again. “Can I have time to process?”

“Of course…”

Peter squeezed Wade’s hand. “I’m just pressing pause, not stop. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

“I just… I need time to process.”

“It’s fine, Petey.” Wade squeezed Peter’s hand in return. “We’re parents now. We got a lot of other things to focus on. We can take our time.”

Hesitantly, Peter looked back up at Wade to assess the man’s honesty. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Wade pulled their joined hands to his lips and left a light kiss on Peter’s knuckles. “A kiss like that will hold me over for a long time. I used to get by just on your kicks, punches, and sassy comments. This is a thousand times better!”

Peter leveled one of his patented Spidey Frowns onto Wade for that comment.

“Oh! And that look, too. I haven’t seen it in ages! Makes my chest feel all warm and fuzzy.” Wade splayed his other hand over his heart dramatically.

Peter rolled his eyes, but a moment later his face shifted into the look of constant exhaustion it usually had since becoming a parent. “Thank you,” he said softly.

“C’mon!” Wade turned and used their linked hands to tug Peter from the room. “Let’s get some breakfast in you!”

It was a weird and precarious thing that was building between them, but Wade was fine with that. He was used to navigating Peter’s insecurities and ignoring his own. Taking it slow was really the best course of action. Wade could live with this. For the first time in a long time, he felt hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some thoughts on this chapter: Spidey sense isn't a real thing in spiders. -.- They know stuff because they pick up vibrations through their hair. Spiders are super sensitive to those sorts of things. And I found out recently that screaming/yelling at a spider ends up so loud it effectively blinds the spider so it will typically freeze and not move until it can tell where it's going. This is more effective on tiny spiders and less effective on larger spiders. So don't feel bad if you scream, it's a survival instinct!
> 
> Choosing names is the bane of my existence. @.@ Thus far I have named only two of the kids: Li and Nick. Someone asked me to name one of them Zee, which leads me to the idea that you guys could pick names, too. If you would like to name a spider baby, please suggest a name in the comments. <3
> 
> You: Wait, so you are afraid of spiders and you suck at picking names... So you wrote a story about giant spiders with 36 new characters you needed to name?  
> Me: Don't judge me! T.T
> 
> Moving on, Spideypool comics should really just be them dating. Like, legit, they act like a couple so I called them out on that in this chapter. I'm also an advocate for people _actually_ talking about things they need to talk about. So you'll see some of that in this fic as well. (People who know me see it in all my fics. lol)
> 
> I also delved into exploring Wade's insecurities and Peter's fear of commitment being at war with his fear of being alone. These are things often explored in canon, fanfiction, and my own work pretty consistently. I never tire of it. XD
> 
> Big stuff happening next chapter. I'm excited. See you guys then!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *is impatient and WAY too excited to post this chapter*  
> Tons of notes at the bottom.

Li didn’t seem at all happy to be sitting on a cold metal table under the bright lights of the lab. She also fidgeted constantly at the wires surrounding her and her hairs twitched around the pads that were attached to her body and monitoring her. She was also very cautious of the scanner above her that occasionally beeped as it displayed detailed readouts of her condition on the screen.

Still, she was being very good and very patient as Peter ran about the lab, triple checking to make sure everything was ready to go. Wade stood by her side and spoke to her in a constant soothing ramble. Choosing Li to be the first was a good idea and Wade stood by that decision. None of the other kids would have shown this much patience and calm in the face of Peter’s frantic movements.

“You keep runnin’ around like a chicken with your head cut off, and you’re gonna scare her.”

“I have to make sure everything’s ready!” Peter snapped.

“Everything  _ is _ ready. I’ve watched you check it all so many times I could do it myself at this point.”

Peter stopped dead in his tracks and closed his eyes as he took a deep breath in and out. Then another. And another. “We don’t have to do this today.”

“Yes, we do,” Wade insisted. “It’s going to be okay.”

Swallowing hard, Peter nodded a little too fast for a little too long before going over to the table that contained a syringe full of the serum already ready to go. It took another long few moments for Peter to pick it up and walk back over to Li. An IV line was already fitted onto her thorax, which had been an experience trying to get in without Li attacking it. Now all Peter had to do was inject the serum.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” Wade’s voice with soft and calming, and he was speaking to both Peter and Li that time.

Peter nodded again, swallowed, and then moved the syringe into place with a look full of determination. He had decided to administer it as slow as possible in order to keep track of any changes. As he pressed the liquid into the IV line as slowly as he could manage it, his eyes stayed glued to the screens and monitors. Everything remained as normal.

It only took a few minutes to finish injecting it, but it felt like much longer than that given the tension in the room. When Peter finally finished, he immediately ran over to the main scanner in order to watch the effects of the change. A lot of information flashed across the screen, but Wade didn’t understand any of it, so he focused on praising Li for being so good at taking her shots.

To Wade, it felt like nothing was happening. Li was just sitting there, the information on the screen was silent as it scrolled, and Peter just stood there reading it. It was all oddly anti-climactic. After what felt like an eternity, Peter finally spoke.

“Her cells took the change.” Peter ran over and immediately took a blood sample in order to further study it. Li wasn’t happy about that and it took longer for Wade to calm her back down.

“So what happens now?” Wade asked once Li was no longer trying to run off the table.

“It’s a waiting game…” Peter’s voice was mostly distracted as he ran who knew how many tests on the blood sample.

“Waiting on what?”

“Just because she has the  _ ability _ to shift, doesn’t mean she’ll immediately know how to do it. The first many times usually happens due to emotional response. We don’t know what will cause her body to attempt the change.”

Wade sighed as he ran soothing fingers along Li. “Now we just gotta figure out how to get ya to figure it out.”

Li didn’t have much of a response to that outside of her usual fretting at being under such close observation. They finally ended up leaving the lab when the food vats chimed. Both men had to rush over and work together to fill them back up. Li happily ran around with the others on the opposite side of the glass, having too much pent up energy after anxiously sitting on the exam table for hours.

They did their best to keep her under observation, but she didn’t show any signs of change. Despite Peter’s constant check-ups, that trend continued for the next three days. Li went back to her normal routine of following Wade around and being the chillest child of them all, but she still didn’t shift. Wade pouted about it, but Peter seemed to think it was normal so it wasn’t a concern just yet.

On day four, Peter and Wade were in one of the larger rooms and all the kids were present. The adults were animatedly talking about simple things like how to turn on a lightswitch and how light came from lightbulbs. The kids were attentive, but they never did engage much in the staged conversations. It was times like these that Wade felt like a replacement for children’s television.

“But Peter!” Wade dramatically pointed at a lamp. “How do the lightbulbs not fall out?”

“Well, Wade,” Peter said in what Wade had started calling the Teacher Voice. “The lightbulb fits into what is called a  _ socket _ . The socket is specially designed to make sure the lightbulb stays in place and doesn’t move.”

“Wow!” Frankly, Wade enjoyed acting overly fascinated with everything and Peter usually struggled not to laugh at Wade’s antics. “Can you show me how to put the lightbulb in?”

“Sure, Wade!” Peter waved his hand at the lightbulb and small lamp sitting on the floor beside him that were being used for educational purposes. “First, can you point out which one is the lightbulb?”

As Wade hummed and debated over his choices, Li scuttled forward with the intent to point out the new word she was learning. That was when it happened. In her desire to pick up the lightbulb to show that she understood, it caused her to feel the need to interact in the same way the adults were. Thus, her body started shifting.

The process was slower than Peter’s and both nervous parents hovered over her the entire time, desperately wanting to help, but knowing there was nothing they could do. Hands hovered anxiously and the other children around them chittered in confusion, fear, and concern. After what felt like an eternity, Li finished shifting.

Li was pale skinned toddler with a mess of curly brown hair that was a step away from being black. Wide honey brown eyes looked up at the two anxious parents above her in shock. With a few stuttering breaths, Li started wailing at the top of her lungs. The noise level she was producing seemed to shock herself, which in turn made her cry harder. She was completely flooded with senses she didn’t understand how to process and it was terrifying her.

Peter quickly scooped her up and clutched Li to his chest, rocking her back and forth in hopes to calm her. Or perhaps calm himself. Peter was crying as well, shaking all over while rambling incoherent apologies to the screaming Li that was writhing in his arms. A few of the other kids around them scuttled around in anxiety, trying to figure out what happened and why.

Wade was at a loss of what to do. He placed one hand on Peter’s back, hoping to sooth and comfort. He hadn’t expected Li to react to shifting quite the way she had. She was screaming hard enough to gag every so often, which just made her all the more upset. Wade did his best to breathe evenly and stay calm. One of them needed to stay calm.

“Petey, hey,” Wade all but cooed. “It’s okay. She’s just surprised. Take a deep breath.”

“No no no,” Peter moaned. “You don’t understand! Everything sounds different and looks different and feels different. She’s suddenly deaf to vibrations and attacked by too bright images and too loud sounds. I can’t explain it to her. I can’t explain why we look different and sound different and why she feels us different and why she can’t smell us the same way. She’s terrified and I did this to her and I can’t fix it!”

“Shhh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” Wade wrapped his arms around the both of them, needing the comfort as much as they did. “This is what newborns do, right? It’s just a delayed reaction to the world. Totally normal.”

Wade wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Peter or himself. Newborns didn’t remember such events, but Li would certainly remember this. At least, it seemed like she would. She was a lot younger than Wade had imagined she would be, but she was most certainly no infant.

It took a long time for the three to calm down enough to move. Peter’s mind finally starting working again and he insisted on taking Li to the lab immediately. Wade helped Peter to stand as he refused to let go of the still screaming Li. Wade noted that there was a wet spot on the floor and down Peter’s pants. Li had wet herself out of fear and a lack of understanding in how to keep such things inside. Wade’s stomach churned in worry and guilt, but he pushed it aside for the moment.

Once in the lab, Wade set about cleaning Li up. She was struggling to breathe well as her face was covered in tears, snot, and bile from dry heaving. Wade was also worried that pee wouldn’t be the only thing Li didn’t know how to control yet. He slid a bundle of rags underneath her just in case.

Li’s arms flailed and she squinted at the bright lights above her on the exam table. It was obvious she was still horrifically upset, but her energy was waning and she couldn’t keep up the level of screaming and flailing that she had been previously. As Peter ran around checking her vitals, Wade started tapping out Li’s favorite rhythm on top of the table.

It took a long time for Li to finally notice the tapping, but when she did, she stared at Wade’s finger in confusion. Carefully, Wade moved his hand over and lightly tapped the rhythm on Li’s trembling leg so that she could feel it. Her sobs continued, but the screaming lessened to little hiccuping wails.

“Heeey, there’s a good Li-Li. You know this feeling, right? It’s the same. It’s all the same. It just sounds different now.”

When Li’s eyes finally looked up and focused on Wade, he held his fingers in her line of sight and made the sign for his name over and over again. Wade watched the comprehension filter into Li’s eyes. When she figured it out, her eyes filled with fresh tears and she reached for Wade with a desperate whine.

Immediately, Wade scooped her up and cradled her in his arms. Her grip was much stronger than it should have been for someone so young, but considering her parentage, it made sense. After a long time, Li finally passed out on Wade’s shoulder, though her grip was still solid.

“Well… She didn’t shift back.” Wade said, quiet enough to not disturb Li.

“No, she’ll have to make the conscious decision to do so.” Peter sounded about as worn out as he looked, his eyes still glued to the readouts on the screen before him.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes. She’s healthy, just…” Peter dropped bonelessly onto a stool and placed his head in his hands. “I didn’t think the change would shock her so much.”

“Neither of us did.”

Peter lifted red rimmed eyes to look at the other two. “They’re aging in human years. I don’t know why that didn’t occur to me. We’ve been trying to get them respond to us far past their proper developmental milestones. In fact, they’re stunted even considering those with how little we’ve been able to work with them.”

“But… Li-Li can do a lot of things,” Wade pointed out in confusion.

“Li… is likely a savant.” Peter murmured, his mind churning over what he now knew.

Wade dropped a kiss on top of Li’s mess of curls. “I think she just gets her brains from you.”

A strained little huff of a laugh fell from Peter’s lips. “I feel like an idiot right now.”

“Everyone has to hit that point at least once in their lives.”

“But the kids shouldn’t have to suffer for it.”

“Kids suffer the idiocy of parents on a very regular basis, believe me.” Wade walked over to Peter and snagged another rolling stool with one foot so they could sit facing each other. “She’s not hurt, you were not purposefully cruel to her, and she’s perfectly healthy.”

“I scared her half to death, Wade.” Peter’s voice was struggling to stay quiet so as not to disturb Li. “We shouldn’t have done this.”

Wade’s arms wrapped a little bit tighter around Li as he frowned in thought. “I disagree.”

“How can you say that?”

“She’s scared, yes, but she’s a hundred times safer like this and you know it. Even if none of the other kids shift, Li proves something very important to all the people out there unable to see past the giant spider.”

Peter looked at Li with such sorrow as he reached up and brushed his fingers through one of her wild curls. “They shouldn’t have to  _ look _ human to deserve protection.”

“The world ain’t fair.”

“No… It’s not…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Peter use the word “savant” because the spider brains would be considered neurologically/developmentally stunted in comparison to a human brain. Though Peter is adamant about his kids being fine the way they are, the genius in him still sees them as intellectually lacking. This isn’t something Peter is necessarily aware that he does and Wade takes everything at face value so he doesn’t really hyperfocus on it. Thus I’m making an author's note about it instead of exploring that via internal monologue.
> 
> I also wanted to look at how they were waiting for the kids to communicate and to be able interact in a way that would prove them intelligent. However, as a human, the kids are obviously too young to meet the expectations being placed on them. At this point in the story they aren’t even two years old yet. So having a significant vocabulary and being able to identify objects without consistent educational tools would be nearly impossible.
> 
> Meanwhile, most of their developmental milestones are being filtered through the instincts of a spider. So whereas human babies would be learning the differences between themselves and others, the spider babies are learning the differences between family unit, predators, and prey. Spiders are born ready to survive, so watching them be immediately independent and capable in that aspect can make it all the more confusing to those watching them because inside they are still infants that have no awareness of the world.
> 
> That is to say, I had a lot of fun determining at what level I wanted the kids - and especially Li - to interact with the adults and each other.
> 
> I also really wanted to explore how upsetting it would be for a toddler to suddenly experience the world for the first time with senses they aren’t used to having. Li’s entire understanding of the world changed when she shifted. She couldn’t recognize what she saw or what she heard because sight and sound is processed differently for humans. To her, it would have seemed like her family and home shifted into something unrecognizable. And without an understanding of her new limbs, she didn’t even know how to run, hide, or protect herself. Not to mention she now makes loud noises and doesn’t know how to stop them from happening. Thus her reaction to the shift.
> 
> I was really excited to explore this part so I hope you found it as interesting as I did. Heh ^.^’
> 
> Year two milestones: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/Developmental-Milestones-2-Year-Olds.aspx


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will be teaching at a convention this weekend so there won't be an update until late next week.

Peter and Wade had been convinced that the next thing they needed to focus on was whether or not to give the rest of the kids the serum. It turned out that the next thing they were _forced_ to focus on was how to take care of a toddler with the ability to climb walls. Or more significantly, a toddler with the ability to climb walls and no understanding of how to control bodily functions.

Wade stood with his hands on his hips and stared at a poop stain on the ceiling as Peter tried to convince Li that eating a spoonful of canned apple sauce wouldn’t kill her. Li was less than trustful of Peter’s food suggestions. It was also difficult to get her to sit still once she figured out how to crawl. Currently she was on the table in front of Peter so he could easily grab her if she tried to make a run for it.

“I’m fairly convinced that evolution never intended children to possess super strength along with sticky hands and feet.” Peter groused as he picked apple sauce out of his hair.

“We’re gonna need diapers,” Wade stated the obvious. “Along with a shit ton of other baby stuff.”

“ _Wade…_ ”

“Don’t ‘Wade’ me! Apple sauce ain’t cuttin’ it. We’ll have to go through jars of baby food until she finds one she likes.”

Peter sighed and leaned back in his chair as Li banged the spoon she’d stolen onto the table over and over, applesauce flying in various directions. “I _know_ what she likes, but a liquid protein diet isn’t good for her human state in the long term and she’s refused to shift back.”

It had been two weeks since Li first shifted and she had yet to change out of her human form. For lack of trying, lack of stimulus, or just plain fear of the process, they didn’t know. Peter had given her too many check-ups to count since then and all was well health wise. However, Li’s desire to be human stopped there. She still wanted to crawl, play, and eat with the other spiders. Apparently, the spider food wasn’t unhealthy for her, but somehow it seemed far grosser to Wade for her to continue eating it in a human state.

Peter’s only concern was that the food contained extra enzymes and acids appropriate for spider digestion. This caused Li to have quite a bit of reflux and since she thus far refused to wear clothes, it was a problem to find her covered in her own spit-up. Peter and Wade were already busy enough, and looking after a strong willed and curious toddler only added to the workload. They couldn’t keep a constant eye on her. Thus, the poop on the ceiling along with a food caked Li.

“She’ll just rip the diaper off of her…” Peter muttered.

“Nah, she doesn’t like being dirty. It’s why she whines at us when she is. Spiders are fastidious when it comes to them being clean. Once she realizes what the diapers do, she’ll prefer them.”

“You can’t just run to town and order a pallet of diapers!” Peter snapped, the hold on his paranoid anger slipping.

Wade walked over - snatching the now bent spoon out of Li’s hand as he went - and sat down in the chair beside Peter. Li made a handful of unhappy grunts at Wade, which was as noisy as she got when she wasn’t crying. Li hated the noise level she produced.

“Look, Petey. We’ll end up giving the rest of them the serum. You know it. I know it. It’s _their_ choice as to what form they wanna be in and when - and we have to let them choose. But we can’t wait that much longer. As much of a problem as a passle of toddlers will be, it’s gonna be worse when they’re older and have no concept of how to walk, talk, feed themselves, or hold in their own poop.”

Peter closed his eyes and didn’t respond, a pained look crossing his face. It meant that he knew Wade was right, but hated having to admit that. There were a lot of other factors to consider, but ultimately, it didn’t change the end result. All the kids needed the option to shift as early as possible.

Uncaring of the discussion the adults were having, Li kicked the forgotten can of applesauce at Wade with an annoyed grunt. Wade easily caught it and immediately used the warped spoon to scoop some out and eat it. He made a big show about how tasty he found it. Li looked confused, dubious, and mildly disgusted in turns.

“You don’t trust my tastebuds, Li-Li?” Wade teased after taking another bite. “If you learn to chew, Daddy can introduce you to all sorts of foods!” Wade leaned forward with a grin. “Can you say ‘daddy’? Daaaah-deeee.”

Peter’s gaze whipped over to Wade with a glare. “ _I’m_ her father.”

“Ooo, someone’s attached to the word.”

“Just pick a different name if you have to.” Peter rolled his eyes and pretended like he wasn’t as bothered by it as he obviously was.

Wade chuckled. “Fine. I’ll be Momma. Say maaah-maaah!”

That finally got a smile to form on Peter’s face. “If she says it, you’re stuck with it.”

“Doesn’t bother me! I’m not so hung up on toxic masculinity.” Wade winked at Peter who gave a reluctant laugh in return.

After a long time of just watching Wade repeat the word “Momma” to a skeptical looking Li, Peter finally whispered, “Just don’t do anything rash.”

They both knew that Wade would not be stopped once he decided that something needed to be done for Peter and/or the kids. Peter wasn’t happy conceding that point, but Wade was just relieved that it hadn’t turned into a fight or a panic attack… or both.

“No worries, Baby Boy! I got an idea.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “An idea is not a plan. Besides, do you even know what babies need?” He threw his hands into the air. “I don’t! I can only assess their health and nutritional needs. I’m guessing at the rest. We both are!”

“Hmmm…” Wade considered that as one wiggled fingers in front of Li who was desperately trying to control her motor skills enough to catch them. A light bulb could practically be seen going off over Wade’s head as he snapped the fingers of his other hand and then pointed it at Peter excitedly. “I’ll buy a baby book!”

In response, Peter gave Wade a rather unimpressed look that told Wade all he needed to know about where Li learned to make the faces she did. Wade chuckled to himself over their similarities.

“You know I’ll go above and beyond for you and the kids,” Wade pointed out sincerely.

Peter let out a long breath. “I know.”

“So trust me, okay?”

“I trust you more than anyone else on the planet right now.”

“I’ll take it!” Wade leaned over and hovered in front of Peter’s face long enough to give the man an out, but Peter didn’t move. So Wade quickly dropped a peck of a kiss on Peter’s lips, pulling back with a large smile.

A blush was painting Peter’s cheeks and he refused to look at Wade when he mumbled, “That’s hardly anything special. You don’t have to wait for me to okay something like that. It always makes me think you’re going to do something more.”

“I just don’t want you to punch me if I catch you off guard!”

“I won’t punch you.”

“Anymore?”

Peter frowned, face turning a darker red. “I haven’t punched you in years.”

Wade grinned. “True.” Darting in, he left a quick peck on Peter’s cheek, this time without pause.

Before Peter could get any further flustered by that, Li let out a louder than normal “Ah!” that called her parents’ attention. She awkwardly aimed her hand at her cheek before waving it at Wade. To say Wade was ecstatic about Li wanting a kiss was a vast understatement.

The next five minutes was devoted to Peter and Wade leaving kisses on Li’s cheeks until little girl let out her first true giggle of delight.

 

~*~

 

Back when Wade toed the line closer to villain than neutral, he owned a very spiffy transporter. Through excessive use, wear and tear, and the more-than-occasional bullet holes, the thing started getting spotty. More than once, Wade had to regrow a limb after transporting away from a place. Sometimes, the damn thing didn’t work at all.

When Cable had busted into Wade’s life for the bromance team-up of the decade, Wade had asked the futuristic techno badass to fix it. Cable had agreed and then promptly hid the thing from Wade. When Wade complained - boisterously and at length - Cable promised that if Wade truly needed it, he could have it back. However, Cable would be in the future verifying that Wade hadn’t used it for anything less than a life threatening or noble purpose. So if Wade hit the button to call the transporter to him and it didn’t show up, that meant Cable said no.

Wade had thus far tried it three times to no avail and just hoped that in some alternate Earth, it went through and his other self was having a blast. As for this reality, Wade was banking on Cable’s deep respect for Spider-man to approve the call for the transporter. After all, what more noble cause was there than buying baby food for Spider-man’s kids?

If it didn’t go through, he’d have to do things the hard way, and he would, but that meant leaving Peter alone for a much longer length of time. But Wade didn’t like focusing on the what-if’s because it just ended up with him depressed. So instead, he suited up, pulled out the button he hadn’t tried in years, and pressed it with full confidence that the transporter would show up within the minute.

A nerve wracking fifteen seconds later, it popped into existence in front of Wade who let out a whoop of excitement. With a shoutout of thanks to Cable, Wade strapped the thing to his chest and paused a moment to pet it lovingly. “Oh, baby… How I’ve missed you. We had such good times together.”

Now the real fun began. Fully suited up, Deadpool ran down to the stockroom of not-so-magical-replenishment. He planned on getting quite a bit of stuff during this trip. It was going to be nice to visit his home country again. First stop: Regina. Because… Well… Regina.

The look on the face of the poor worker who fulfilled the order for a pallet of diapers for personal use was priceless. So was the look on the face of the person in the grocery store who sold Wade every available brand and flavor of baby food available along with a stack of steaks and a blender. The humor ended there when Peter’s prediction won and Li shredded the diapers off of herself as if they were attacking her and refused to eat any of the food offered.

They also discovered that unlike her father, Li naturally produced webbing. However, she produced it from a place neither parent had expected. Watching Li cocoon a steak with webbing she produced from someplace between her legs was both fascinating and disturbing. Peter had been thrown into an absolute panicked frenzy over it and Li spent the next few hours in the lab getting an extra thorough check-up that embarrassed Peter far more than it did Li.

By day three, Wade decided that the best spice was hunger and even though Peter avidly argued against the plan, Wade finally managed to get his way. That day, Li tried the spinach, sweet potato, and beef blend baby food and didn’t immediately spit it out. She ended up eating almost the entire jar. Wade was so relieved he shed a tear over it.

After that, Li started to trust Peter and Wade’s insistence on trying new things and life got better. By day five, Li had figured out the purpose of diapers and only ripped them off when they got dirty. Which was sorta cleaner, Wade guessed. At least there was no poop on the ceiling anymore.

Nevertheless, a calmer and easier to handle Li meant Wade could make more trips to get more items. And Wade had a hefty list of items to get.

There would be no hiding the pallets of things Deadpool intended to steal, purchase, and threaten to acquire. Eventually, someone would catch wind of Deadpool collecting the oddest amount of stuff only to vanish without a trace along with the product. Still, his plan was to gather a large amount in various Canadian cities while making occasional trips to other countries. It would throw off the trail and have them searching pretty regularly in Canada.

Wade wasn’t stupid, though. There were certain countries he intended to ignore completely. Brazil was not one of them. They would assume he wouldn’t go to the country he was actually hiding in and that’s what made the plan so perfect. Really, Wade figured the hardest part would be to get random moms and dads to help him with information on what he needed in order to take care of kids. Surprisingly, after the initial shock of seeing Deadpool, most people were happy to help.

“So, uh, Jan.”

“Yeah?” Janice was a woman Wade had met in Toronto and had come back to for advice three times since.

“Why didn’t you assume that I kidnapped a baby?”

Janice looked up from her notepad where she was writing down instructions and helpful hints on cloth diapers - which Wade was quickly discovering was a more feasible option. At the rate Li went through them, 36 kids worth of diapers would be impossible to keep up with. “Because you talk like a parent.” Janice stated simply.

“Kidnappers don’t talk like parents?”

“Kidnappers wouldn’t nervously bounce foot to foot and ask me which aisle enrichment toys are on.”

“How was I to know there wasn’t a section? There should totally be a section for that!”

Janice smiled and went back to writing. “How are her motor skills coming along? Is that ball working?”

Wade had admitted to Janice that the mysterious baby he was looking after had super strength and was destroying every toy he brought home. It had barely been over a week since Wade had started his outings when he met up with Janice and she had come up with an idea. Li now had one of those tough rubber [honeycomb balls](https://www.dfordog.co.uk/user/products/large/jw-hol-ee-roller.jpg) made for dogs. She had yet to rip it apart and had had it nearly a month now. She loved the fact that she could smack it against things all she liked and it would still bounce back into shape.

“She’s learning how to pass it between her hands and roll it. It’s working out really great!”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Janice grinned as she pulled out the paper from her notepad and handed it to Wade. “That’s the list of brands you’ll want to look at and the best care instructions.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Jan!”

“Also, you should know that there’s a news segment asking for information on your movements.”

“Unsurprising.” Wade shrugged it off as it didn’t really matter and was, in fact, expected. He tucked the paper away in one of his pouches.

“Can I ask _you_ something?”

“Sure!”

“Why didn’t you just ask the Avengers for help?”

Wade looked up at Jan in surprise. “That’s a specific and unqualified group to mention when talking about the care of a toddler.”

“Tony Stark was walking around my very mundane office building that he has no connection with yesterday. I’m quite certain he’s following me currently. If not, I’m pretty sure I’ll be interviewed tomorrow regardless.”

“Me and Tin Man don’t really get along…” Wade evaded.

“I feel like there’s more to it than that.”

“It’s a secret.”

“I’m not surprised.” Janice sighed. “You can still come to me for help, though I might be ‘compromised’ as it were.”

“I’ll fix that next time I’m in town! Invasion of privacy is another reason to dislike Metal Head.”

“Are you afraid they’ll take her from you?” Janice asked, voice soft and full of sympathy.

Wade rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, looking at anything but Janice’s knowing mom eyes. “I don’t got a great reputation that lends to child rearing.”

“As long as you’re doing what’s best for her, then I have no complaints.”

“I promise. Where she is now is safest for everyone involved.”

Janice gave Wade a look that said, “I know you believe that,” but graciously didn’t say it outloud. She didn’t have all the facts so she couldn’t determine what course was best. Wade’s favorite part of Janice was that she didn’t push to get further involved. She just cared about providing the information Wade needed in order to take care of Li.

Wade handed her a fist full of cash from one of his pouches. “Buy your kid that thing they want. I know there’s a thing. There’s always a thing.”

“I don’t need your money, ya know.”

“Yeah, but you deserve it.” Wade didn’t stick around for sentiments and just transported away without another word.

Frankly, buying kids toys and a few pallets of diapers was not something that would cause Iron Man to hunt for Deadpool. The giant vats of raw material needed to create spider food however _was_. Not that anybody knew what it was being used for. It could be any manner of things and everyone assumed the worst of Deadpool. Not that such an assumption was misplaced, and Wade could fully admit that.

Especially since buying such things in cash under the table wasn’t really feasible. So in order to not leave too much of a money trail, Wade was just popping into labs or factories and stealing it. He didn’t tell Peter that and Peter didn’t ask. That was how they both kept sane over these outings.

Wade just hoped that Tony and company didn’t figure out that Wade and Peter were both hiding in the same place.

 

~*~

 

Normally, Tony would not take on such a mundane case, especially one involving Deadpool. However, something about the situation was nagging at him. Deadpool had fallen off the grid for quite some time and prior to that he had broken into Tony’s tower twice, both times looking for information on Spider-man. Deadpool’s sudden reappearance and grand larceny was suspicious.

The baby supplies completely threw Tony off. At first he assumed it was just a prank - Deadpool’s insane attempt to mess with anyone tracking his movements. However, Deadpool was consistently making contact with parents and asking legitimate questions about raising kids. More than that, the people involved seemed to believe that Deadpool was being honest about his recent foray into parenthood.

But the sheer _volume_ of products Deadpool was taking was baffling. “Did he take over an _orphanage_?!” Tony muttered to himself as he looked over the same information for the hundredth time.

“FRIDAY.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get me every last bit of information you can on Deadpool’s movements up to a year prior to his disappearance.”

“Right away, sir.”

There had to be a method to the madness. There just had to be. A gut feeling told Tony that Spider-man was somehow involved. If he could prove that, then he was pulling the team in for this mission. One way or another, Tony was going to find out what happened to Peter Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That [dog toy](https://www.dfordog.co.uk/user/products/large/jw-hol-ee-roller.jpg) is actually not a bad idea for normal toddlers too. I’ve bought them for kids before. You just don’t tell the parents it’s for pets and they think it’s the coolest thing ever. lulz
> 
> POV is gonna be consistently Wade as it has been, but head hopping to other people will happen a bit more often as chapters progress. In order to cover all the ideas of what I’m doing in this verse and why, I’ll have to explore other characters, mostly Avenger members, but one very special other person who I’m keeping as a surprise for now. But I’m excited about that chapter since it will mostly be a character study I’ve been dying to do for a while. This fic is so self indulgent. XD
> 
> As for this moment with Tony, I wanted to show why he connected Deadpool’s movements to Spider-man. I also really wanted to use the orphanage line. lol
> 
> In regards to the kids, I’d planned from the beginning for their spider traits to not completely go away when they shifted. Spider-man’s mutation isn’t like normal mutants. In canon, his daughter became Spider-woman (Spider-girl? Spider2.0!) so it’s established that some of his specific powers are genetic. So due to the kids parentage, their mother gave them the mutant gene, and their father gave them spidey powers.
> 
> Now, in canon Spidey didn’t produce webs naturally because for it to make sense for him to do so, it would not come out of his wrists. It was a subtle work around to the “area of production” dilemma. Since I’m not pulling any punches in this fic, I went there and had them produce it in the awkward place. Of course, Li has no reason to believe that the location it’s being produced is anything other than normal. She’d be extremely confused and unsure of things if it was produced in any other location. Poor thing is already confused and unsure enough as it is.
> 
> If you are wondering about details, yes, I am legit writing that the web production hole is located between her labia and thus why it was missed previously in her examinations. Peter knew she had a gland that produced web and that it stayed after she shifted, but had previously assumed she couldn’t get it out of her in human form. How wrong he was. Since they are ground spiders, the location of production does not have to support their weight as they are not built for that. It just has to be able to point at the ground in order to create nests and traps.
> 
> *takes a moment to consider what I’m doing with my life since I have thought this through FAR too much* I might need to chill. -.-


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the next name on my list of babies is Zee and this was the next baby I needed to name so I hope the person who suggested the name is cool with this baby. XD

Ten more kids were given the serum and seven of them refused to shift. Li continued to stay in human form, so it didn’t seem she had any intentions of showing them how it worked. Two of the kids shifted fully to human form and had similar reactions to Li’s first shift. She stayed with them when it happened and helped them cope and learn how to use their new limbs. 

That guaranteed that they learned to crawl much faster than Li had. That was both good and bad, as they also retained their spider abilities and were crawling on the walls in no time. Despite that, they seemed to prefer staying closer to the ground outside of a few stunts on the ceiling. Peter seemed to think that made perfect sense.

“It takes a lot of muscle control to keep your balance when you’re climbing or hanging like that. It’s easier to sit on top of something.”

“So every time you hung upside down or walked across the walls, you were just showing off?” Wade smirked.

Peter frowned and focused his attention on other things. “I was young.”

The third child to shift, Zee, did not change to human form. She shifted halfway to what Peter had been commonly calling man-spider form. Zee seemed far more comfortable like that. She didn’t have as much of a violent reaction to shifting and she seemed fully aware of her motor skills in that form. Zee also had an easier time crawling sideways along with walls with eight limbs to secure her to the surface.

Though the other two kids only shifted for a couple of days, Zee stayed in her form for a full week, exploring and learning about her environment through a different set of senses. She was mostly quiet and had a tendency to stare at things for a long time before moving on to stare at something else. For almost a full day, she did that to Wade, which was a tad bit creepy at night, if he was being honest.

And Wade was up all night to see it happen as he didn’t sleep much anymore. The kids kept him busy during the day and he would lay down with Peter long enough to get the man to go to sleep. After that, Wade would return to the lab and work on food production. He didn’t really need to sleep since his powers healed the damage of being awake as fast as it happened. Still, he kinda missed the silence of drifting off into blackness. That and the occasional hilarious or sexy dreams.

Wade was heading to the kitchen for a midnight snack when he turned a corner and met Zee face to mandible covered face. He jumped instinctively and then forced himself to calm back down. “You can’t do that with all the lights out, Zee!”

She shifted on the wall, silently moving closer to him. Wade obliged her unspoken request and dropped a kiss on top of her head. Ever since Li’s excited demands to receive kisses, all the kids had been insistent on getting them as well. It was cute to watch them tap their palps against each other in an effort to mimic the gesture.

“You wanna follow me while I go make a sandwich?”

Zee traveled along the wall near Wade’s shoulder as they walked to the kitchen. There were a few other kids running around on nightly romps, but most of them were either down for the night or taking naps. Spiders didn’t really run on a normal asleep-at-night schedule. Though Li’s human form seemed to be pushing her towards that and she either slept with Peter or a pile of her siblings throughout the night.

“Have you thought more on trying other foods or shifting further?” Wade always talked to the kids conversationally, hoping some of it got through. They never responded as if they fully understood what Wade was saying, but all the parenting books encouraged getting kids used to common words, phrases, and cadence of speaking.

When Wade made his sandwich, he offered it to Zee, but she just shuffled away from it. Wade shrugged and chowed down, talking in between bites about his day. Zee paid attention, but didn’t respond. Even in full spider form, Zee tended to be quiet and attentive.

“Wade?” A sleepy voice called from the doorway.

“Hm?” Wade turned to see a sleep ruffled Peter shuffling into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes. He wore a soft, oversized shirt and nothing else. “What are you doing up, Baby Boy?”

“I woke up and you weren’t there…” Peter mumbled and shuffled forward with single minded purpose until he was enveloped in Wade’s arms.

“Did you have a nightmare?” Wade asked softly, rubbing his hands up and down Peter’s back. 

“Come back to bed.”

Peter not answering the question was the same as him confirming the answer. He didn’t really like to talk about the demons inside of him or the fears that manifested in his nightmares. Since Wade had no right to judge, he didn’t push Peter.

The food vats would hold until morning so Wade escorted Peter back to bed. For a time, they simply sat against the headboard, Peter curled up against Wade’s chest, enjoying their rare moment of peace and quiet. Wade ran soothing fingers through Peter’s hair rhythmically while his other hand brushed across the once again nude planes of Peter’s back.

“That feels nice…” Peter breathed out the words, almost inaudible if it weren’t for the stillness in the room.

“ _ You _ feel nice,” Wade countered, flattening his hand to Peter’s side and running his palm up for emphasis.

Peter’s body jerked and he sucked in a short gasp of air that was only a tiny bit surprise, and a whole lot of something else. Wade froze, eyes going wide in realization. Peter stayed tense and still, not moving away, but not encouraging more touch or movement.

“Was… Was that okay?” Wade whispered.

The mess of brown hair nodded against Wade’s chest, but Peter refused to look up into Wade’s eyes. Wade wasn’t sure why Peter was so embarrassed about these things. After all, Peter had certainly had sexual relations with other people. Sure, mostly women, but was it really that big of a difference?

“Why are you afraid of me?”

“I’m not!” Peter was quick to snap in return, but he still didn’t lift his face.

“Then why are you acting like a blushing virgin?” Wade wasn’t exactly known for his tact.

Peter shoved away from Wade, eyes blazing as he finally looked up in order to glare at the merc. “I am not!”

“Then I don’t understand your reactions. I can’t make you comfortable if you don’t tell me what you’re feeling and what I’m doing wrong. Weren’t you the one that said we needed to keep communicating?”

Peter sighed and turned his head away to stare at the sheets covering the bed. “You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re being too careful, if anything.”

“But you’re still scared.”

“I’m not scared! I just… I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you want.”

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

“I  _ know _ .” Peter rolled his eyes. “That’s not the point. The point is that I still want to know what’s on your mind. I want to know what to expect. I can’t just  _ take _ from you and call that fair. That’s not a relationship.”

Wade abruptly leaned forward and gripped Peter’s chin, forcing eye contact. Peter’s brown eyes were wide as they stared at Wade’s intensely focused blue ones. “You want a relationship with me?”

“I said before we’re already in one…” Peter mumbled in defense.

“That’s not the same thing.”

“Fine… Yes… I want a relationship…” Peter kept trying to look away, but Wade wouldn’t allow it.

“So I can call you my boyfriend?”

Again, Peter rolled his eyes. “That’s obvious, isn’t it?” He did his best to pretend that he wasn’t blushing.

“Are you always this cute when talking about relationship stuff?”

“Fuck you.”

“If you want.”

Wade didn’t give Peter a chance at a comeback and just started kissing him senseless. Peter fell into it easily, relaxing under the onslaught of Wade’s mouth. They had in fact progressed this far a few times, but it was never for long and never this passionate. Peter had never pushed Wade away before and wasn’t then either. In fact, his arms wrapped around Wade, pulling them closer together.

It felt like a miracle that Peter was still going along with this. Still kissing Wade, still letting Wade touch, still undressing and crawling into bed with Wade. How was any of this real? And why wasn’t Wade showing Peter all the reasons why this should continue?

In so thinking, Wade started kissing his way across Peter’s jaw and neck and collarbone. Peter shivered and bit his lip, but stayed put, letting Wade’s mouth roam where it would. And roam it did. Wade made it his goal to taste and lavish attention on every last bit of skin he came in contact with. In no time, Peter’s neck was covered in marks, a trail of hickeys marking a blazing trail to Wade’s mouth.

Peter hands gripped as Wade’s textured skin, one hand dragging down and pulling at the thin t-shirt that covered Wade’s torso. “Wade, please…”

“‘Please’ what?” Wade asked between kisses, but he didn’t stop.

“Please tell me what you want to do. Right now. In this moment.” Peter’s voice was breathy but clear.

Wade pulled back to look into Peter’s uncertain eyes. Carefully, he lowered the smaller man to the sheets, his hands gently arranging Peter onto his back. “I want to worship every inch of you.”

Peter sucked in a sharp breath and swallowed hard. “How?”

“By exploring every single bit of your skin. Touching it. Tasting it. Learning it.”

The body beneath Wade squirmed but that slight tinge of fear stayed in those brown eyes. Wade couldn’t understand why. After a moment Peter finally whispered, “Why would you want that?”

“Because you deserve to be worshiped. And because I’ve wanted to do this for years now.”

“Why?” The question came out a shaky and harsh whisper, like Peter was terrified of hearing the answer but unable not to ask.

“You know why.”

“Say it.” Peter’s eyes were filling with tears. Wade didn’t know what he could possibly say that would help, so he just responded with the truth.

“I’m in love with you.”

Peter’s body shook like he was wracked with pain. He scrunched his eyes up tight and gritted his teeth. Yet at the same time he pulled Wade down to press them together with Spidey strength that left Wade feeling bruised.

“Then don’t leave. Don’t ever leave.”

_ Oh, I get it now _ … Wade thought to himself as he returned his own strong grip. He knew that fear, understood it on a visceral level. But Peter had nothing to fear. Wade wasn’t going anywhere and no power in the verse could make him.

When Peter’s grip finally loosened, Wade was kissing again. Lips, face, ears, neck, collarbone, shoulders. Kiss, lick, nibble, suck, and anything else his mouth wanted, drowning in Peter like Wade had always longed to do. Wade’s hands were restless, roaming over as much skin as could be reached. It left Peter a squirming and panting mess in the sheets. It had been a long time since either of them had done anything so intimate.

“Wade!”

No matter the amount of sweet cries, breathy moans, or sexy gasps, Wade was a focused man. He explored carefully, diligently, and slowly. He traveled up and down each arm, covered every muscle poking through the skin of Peter’s chest and abdomen. Tasted each nipple, and delved a tongue into Peter’s cute belly button. Covered both legs with attention from toes to pelvis, lifting them up and bending them around to get to every single inch of skin.

Peter was trembling non-stop at that point. It looked half from arousal and half from too many emotions pulled to the surface. Not that it bothered Wade. If Peter cried, Wade would be happy he could provide the man with needed emotional release. Hell, he’d probably end up crying himself by the end of it. They could both use a good cleansing.

Wade’s fingers trailed feather soft over the sides of Peter’s ass, causing a hiss of breath followed by a thrusting of hips. Peter was rock hard, pre-cum leaking constantly but Wade wasn’t sure if Peter was even aware of how aroused he was. Wade was about to bring that to the forefront of Peter’s mind.

Attention was lavished in much the same way to Peter’s member. Kisses, licks, and insistent mouthing that left Peter moaning and jerking around in need. A fine sheet of sweat covered the man’s skin and Wade pressed his tongue flat against Peter’s thigh to lick a long stripe in order to taste the saltiness of it.

Peter trembled at the feeling of it and the delay in the pleasure Wade was teasing with. Peter’s mouth opened and closed uselessly, but his brain couldn’t form words. Not that Wade needed words to know what Peter wanted. Wade was dragging it out for a reason, wanting Peter to understand on a primal level how much Wade worshiped the other.

When Wade mouthed over Peter’s sack, the man’s hips thrust into the air, seeking contact that wasn’t available. It was at that point Peter seemed to remember he had hands. He reached desperately for his own cock, but Wade stopped the movement, pinning the hands back down to the bed. Sure, Peter could break through Wade’s grip if he wanted to, but he didn’t.

Wade took that as permission to continue his affectionate assault, showering kisses over Peter’s perineum and the sweet spot of the ass before traveling back up to Peter’s balls. When Peter’s hands broke free to shoot forward and grip Wade’s shirt hard enough that it was ripped clean off the merc’s body, Wade decided to take mercy and swallowed Peter down in one go.

Peter all but screamed, bucking up into Wade’s mouth, nails digging into flesh as Wade’s tongue worked as hard as it could to please the thick member. The sounds coming from Peter’s mouth and the very honest reactions of Peter’s body was doing a number on Wade. His own cock throbbed in his sweatpants, the light brush of fabric sending jolts of pleasure through him. Every time Peter moaned, Wade’s nether regions would clench hard, sending a tremor through the rest of Wade’s body.

Wade was bobbing his head up and down in time to Peter’s thrusts. The smaller man seemed completely out of it, lost in a haze of pleasure and intimacy. The taste of Peter was thick on Wade’s tongue and he moaned at it, reveling in a moment he had dreamed about countless times before.

When Peter’s hips started jerking erratically, he seemed to come back to himself. His hands started pushing at Wade’s shoulders and he babbled in half formed words. “Wait- Stop- I’m- It’s- Wait- Gonna-”

Oh, Wade knew exactly what Peter was gonna do and that was precisely what Wade wanted. He kept up the pace relentlessly, ignoring Peter’s weak and obviously aborted attempts to push Wade away. His hands ran over the taut and trembling muscles of Peter’s stomach, hips, and thighs. This was heaven.

With a sharp gasp, Peter’s back arched and his hips thrust forward insistently. His shaft was buried down Wade’s throat who hummed contentedly. The taste of Peter overwhelmed Wade’s senses and he happily drowned in it, heedless of his need for air. A few seconds later, the pleasure that had been humming so sharp in Wade’s system broke, sending tremors of pleasure through his body. He was so happy that he couldn’t find it in himself to be embarrassed that he’d just jizzed in his pants all because he got to swallow Peter’s cum.

When Wade finally sat up, Peter was a limp mess in the sheets. Heavy eyes regarded Wade with a complicated mix of emotions. Still, he reached for Wade almost desperately and was obeyed immediately. They curled around each other, floating on a cloud of endorphins, their bodies still humming with afterglow.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms that night and neither of them spoke of the tears stains on their cheeks or the uncomfortable mess left in Wade’s pants the next morning. However, Peter did softly mention that being worshiped hadn’t been too bad. Wade had a goofy grin on his face the rest of the day.

After that, the two would seek out little moments of free time in order to further explore the intimacy between them. Not all of it ended in any kind of sexual situation, but those that did were some of the best experiences of Wade’s life. He’d always heard that intimacy made things more intense and that sex didn’t have to include penetration. That was something he finally understood with Peter.

Not that he didn’t want penetration. He did. He desperately wanted that closeness with Peter. But for the first time in Wade’s life, he wasn’t in a hurry to get there. Peter had confirmed their relationship and was allowing emotions to solidify between them. Frankly, Wade could die happy.

 

~*~

 

“Tony.”

“Steve…”

“I hear you’ve been obsessing over this Deadpool case.”

Tony frowned to himself and instead of arguing, just threw the information up on the screen. The important Avengers knew Spider-man’s identity, Tony and Steve included, so Tony displayed the information he’d discovered on Parker Industries.

“He obsessively searches through the files for months,” Tony said before clicking to a new video feed. “Then does an idiotic happy dance followed by finger guns…” Tony pulled up the time frame of Deadpool’s absence and enlarged it in front of Steve’s face to make his point. “Then disappears for over a year. What does that tell you?”

Steve’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked over the information. “Spider-man hasn’t contacted us.”

“Of course, he hasn’t!” Tony threw his hands up in agitation. “He’s being held hostage!”

“Those two have teamed up in the past. If anything, it’s likely  _ Spider-man _ who is holding  _ Deadpool _ hostage.” Peter had been very adamant that he didn’t want to be found. Steve wanted to respect the wishes of his teammates, but he had to admit that everything had a limit. Especially considering how worn out Peter had looked in the short video they had obtained all that time ago.

“We haven’t heard from Peter since!” Tony snapped, reading Steve’s mind through the power of familiarity.

Steve sighed and thought it over. Really, Peter should have checked in by this point. It should be no surprise that the rest of his teammates were still worried and looking for him. Still, they had all taken time at some point over the years to deal with personal issues. Steve didn’t want to encroach on Peter’s privacy if something important was going on.

“We can at least try and contact him again  _ first _ before we do anything rash. Under the guise of warning him about Deadpool if we have to.”

“It’s about time we intervene.”

“Tony…”

“Those supplies Deadpool is taking can be used for countless reasons, many of which are dangerous.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. “You could say the same about glycerine. Or it could be used for soap.”

“First, this is Deadpool. Second, Peter is a genius. He could be using those supplies for anything. If he is somehow being manipulated, _that is_ _baaad_.”

Steve dropped his hand in order to glare at Tony for using his I’m-talking-to-an-idiot voice. “We will go about this the proper way. Are you able to get him a message?”

Tony scoffed and didn’t grace that with an answer. Instead he called for his AI.

“Yes, sir.”

“How many satellites are we able to tap into currently?”

“All of them, sir.”

“Good.”

“ _ Tony… _ ”

“What? It’s for the good of the people. Don’t give me that look.” Tony’s fingers started flying across his screens. “And right now, it’s for the good of the kid.”

“Peter isn’t a child anymore.”

“Then he needs to stop acting like one,” Tony muttered as he connected to a global satellite he should have no business accessing. “Time to make a phone call.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. That sex scene got sappy REAL fast. I didn't intend for it to be so fluffy. XD Ah, well.
> 
> It is important to note that not all the kids are gonna go full human all the time like Li did. They are comfortable in the body they grew up in. Shifting is a weird adventure. Like werewolves prefer to stay in human mode and shift only when needed or forced to, the kids are the same with their spider forms. Some will learn to enjoy interaction as a human and see benefits of it. Some will not. Human minds are prone to overthinking and anxiety. Best way to hide from that is staying in a form that focuses more on instinct. The Man-Spider form is the best of both worlds and I intend for a lot of the kids to prefer only shifting halfway for that reason.
> 
> I'm going ahead and making a note of that since plot is about to kick up here soon and the kids will be on the backburner more as we address other characters and interactions. A handful of kids will stay in focus more than the others. Mostly because I dunno how well I can characterize 36 original kids. XD *is not G R R Martin (who I guess also cheats by killing off so many if his characters)*


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6azzNTr6xE

The last part of winter had been a busy time for the both of them. They slowly and steadily made their way through giving all of the kids the serum. It had varying results and they tended to shift at random, and not always under adult supervision. Peter had large files on his main computer system now for each child, filled with information and pictures of their growth and shifted forms.

Wade added in a file with his name on it and kept a list of dates in it that included such things as: First Kiss, First Time Touching Spidey’s Peter, First Time Bringing Peter Flowers, First Time Tossing The Salad. Peter had blushed an adorable shade of red after finding the file and had lectured Wade over it profusely. However, Wade noted that the file wasn’t deleted, so he kept adding to it.

A few days after the first day of spring, they were sitting in the lab and going over the details of some of the kids. Peter was sitting at the main panel, looking at the large screen as Wade sat off to the side sliding poop into test tubes for a machine to analyze. Peter was a bit obsessive about the kids’ health and Wade was typically stuck with the crap jobs. Literally.

“Five of them have refused to shift at all, and I get the feeling they might not. They don’t usually like joining in on any of the enrichment activities like the others.”

Wade shrugged. “Maybe they just prefer staying in spider form after watching their siblings struggle so much.”

“Well… It’s their choice. I won’t try to force them to shift if they don’t want to.”

“Maybe one day they’ll shift in order to try my pancakes!” Wade stated excitedly.

Peter smiled. “Maybe.”

Suddenly the alarm started buzzing on Peter’s computer. Wade’s head snapped around to look at what was wrong and noticed that Peter had gone ghostly pale, fingers flying across the keys. Wade’s stomach dropped.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s Tony. I know it is,” Peter whispered in a voice strained with panic.

“How?”

“He’s reversing the call I made.”

“But you scrambled that call! He couldn’t track it.”

“He’s not tracking me, he’s just reversing my own algorithm in order to reconnect the call. He must have programed his AI to keep up with the fluctuations.”

“So he hit the return call button?”

“If he connects the call, he can potentially track where we are!”

“Then don’t answer.”

“Have you met Tony?”

No sooner than Peter had said that, Tony’s system cut through Peter’s attempts to block it and the alarm abruptly shut off. With a happy little chime, a video call popped up on the screen. Wade was currently out of sight and decided to stay that way for the time being. Peter and Tony glared at each other through their respective cameras. Steve stood just behind Tony’s shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing?” Peter snapped.

Tony opened his mouth, but a hand on his shoulder made him stop and grind his teeth instead. Steve put on one of his good-ol’-boy smiles. “Peter, it’s good to see you again.”

“I’m fine. I don’t need your help. Please stop trying to contact me.” Peter stayed blunt and to the point, his angry frown never leaving his face.

“Peter…” Steve did his best to exude authority. “I want to believe that, but it’s been a long time since we’ve heard anything from you. You could have been dead and we wouldn’t have even known.”

For a split second, Peter looked guilty, but his anger refused to dissipate so easily. “I’d send you updates, but Tony would track me.”

“There something you gotta hide?” Tony challenged and Steve squeezed his hand where it rested on Tony’s shoulder to silence the man again.

“If you would just come in for a few days so we can do an assessment - make sure you’re healthy and still under your own free will. Eat a couple of New York hot dogs.” Steve smiled. “Then you can go back, no questions asked. We just want to be careful, that’s all.”

“No.” 

Peter didn’t say it in so many words, but Wade knew why that was an impossible request. It wasn’t just that Peter was afraid of leaving the kids for any length of time, or somehow being detained by the Avengers, though that was a part of it. The biggest problem was that if Peter returned to the city he loved, it would kill him to have to walk away from it again. To be reminded of how many people still needed Spider-man would rip Peter up inside.

“Then let one of us meet you somewhere. Or someone you trust can come to you.” Steve wasn’t about to give up.

“I just need time. Leave it be!”

“That’s what drug addicts say,” Tony growled before his hands started moving.

Peter’s eyes widened and he started doing a massive amount of things on his computer at once, trying to stop whatever Tony was up to. Probably trying to hack into the system or track Peter’s location. Or both.

“Stop!”

“ _ You _ stop!” Tony snapped back, disregarding Steve’s scolding and Peter’s angry demands. “Stop acting like a child and I’ll stop treating you like one.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“Then enlighten me!”

“Get  _ out _ , Tony!”

“I’m smarter than you, Peter. I’ll break in eventually!”

It was the battle of two geniuses and Steve was unable to stop either of them, though he looked conflicted about who he should side with. Wade had no such reservations. Pulling his mask on, he sauntered over and draped himself over Peter. Tony’s moment of shock at seeing Deadpool gave Peter a leg up in order to stop Tony’s hacking.

“No worries, fellas!” Wade gave them both a quick wave. “I’m here and taking real good care of my Petey-pie. So everyone can breathe easy and go about their merry way.”

“Like hell,” Tony growled, redoubling his efforts. “I have an AI. It’s two against one. I’m getting in there and I’m getting you away from that psycho!”

Wade gasped dramatically as he fished something out of his pouches. “I’m hurt! I’ve been nothing but loving to our little Petey-weety.”

“I swear, if you’ve hurt him-”

“I’m fine!” Peter cut Tony off. “I can take care of myself! Wade is  _ not _ a threat.” 

Peter’s hands were shaking. It was obvious he was losing the battle against Tony. With a smile, Wade dropped a device down onto Peter’s large computer interface. Tony noticed the movement and sneered. 

“Nothing you have is going to stop me from getting in.”

“Even if it’s fancy dancy technology from the future?” Wade asked sweetly. “You probably shouldn’t be connected to so many satellites, Tinman. You’re gonna cause a global incident.” 

With a wave goodbye and a loud smack of a kiss to Peter’s cheek, Wade hit the button on his device. The video feed stayed open long enough to hear Tony’s creative cursing and then the everything was gone like it had never happened. Peter’s fingers froze and he blinked at the screen in shock.

“What happened?”

Wade shrugged. “I fried the satellites. It’ll take him a while to fix it. And a looooot of dough.” He chuckled to himself. It wasn’t like Tony could just leave the global satellites broken. He’d have to focus entirely on that until it was fixed. Steve was gonna be  _ pissed _ .

Wade expected Peter to scold him for it, too, but instead Peter just sank bonelessly back into his seat, eyes still wide and unsure of everything. Wade wrapped his arms tighter around the smaller man as he waited on Peter to process what had just happened. A panic attack was looming ahead, that was for sure.

Peter took in a shuddering breath and whispered, “They’re going to find us.”

“It was inevitable, Petey. Don’t worry. We are prepared to stop them.”

“And they’ll be prepared for us to be on the defensive.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen. I promise. We got a few days to get ready, anyways. Don’t worry, Baby Boy. I’ll send them packing… And with no unaliving of anyone.” Wade tacked on since it was something Peter would care to know.

Trembling hands reached up and gripped at the arms surrounding him. “There’s nothing I can do to stop this.”

“It’s gonna be okay.”

“I can’t do anything, so why does it have to hurt this much?” Peter’s voice was strained as he struggled to control his breathing.

“Panic is irrational. It’s normal.”

“I don’t want to feel this anymore!” Peter sobbed, his body shuddering. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore!”

Wade held Peter through the panic attack, soothing and consoling as much as he could. When Peter had finally worn himself out, Wade scooped the smaller man into his arms and walked them to the nearest bedroom. For a long time, they just lay together on the bed, curling around each other for comfort. However, Peter’s swirling thoughts wouldn’t leave him be, and his warring emotions wouldn’t allow him to take a break from reality.

“I have an idea,” Wade mentioned casually, dropping a kiss onto Peter’s messy hair. “To help your mind blank out. Dunno if you’ll like it, though.”

“I don’t care what it is…” Peter whispered, face hidden in Wade’s chest. “Just make it stop.”

Wade slid one hand down Peter’s body and settled his palm across that glorious bum. One finger pressed at the clothing between the cheeks, indicating exactly what Wade was thinking. Peter tensed up and stopped breathing. They had played around a bit back there, but nothing on the level Wade was suggesting.

“You sure about that, Baby Boy?”

“I said I don’t care,” Peter mumbled defiantly, taking quick breaths and curling in tighter against Wade.

A half-moan, half-growl fell from Wade’s lips. “I’m going to wear you out until the only thing you can do is sleep.”

“Please…” Peter whispered and Wade’s self control snapped.

The next moment Wade was ripping the clothes off of Peter and kissing him senseless. Wade was all tongue, teeth, and roaming hands. Peter surrendered to it, hands gripping at Wade desperately.

Wade followed through on his promise of mind numbing distraction. He had been studying Peter for a while now, learning the man’s preferences and sensitive areas. Wade took that information and gave it everything he had. By the time Wade slipped a finger inside, Peter was a writhing mess in the sheets.

One hand was brushing along a sensitive ridge between hip and low back, one hand was two fingers deep inside of Peter, and Wade’s mouth was clamped down and suckling at the crook of Peter’s neck. Not that Wade intended to leave it at that. His chest was rubbing against Peter’s, a tactile feeling Peter enjoyed. Wade’s leg pressed flush with Peter’s, providing the grounding contact Peter craved.

Peter’s mouth hung open, eyes squeezed shut, and he gasped for breath as he made little choked off noises of pleasure. Wade hummed to himself, reveling in all of his senses being filled with Peter.

“Wade, please!” Peter’s voice was a high pitched and full of need. Wade knew what Peter’s wanted.

The hand caressing Peter’s hip moved down to trail lightly over his member. Peter keened, thrusting his hips up in order to get more sensation. Wade waited until Peter was desperate for it before pumping his fingers harder into Peter. When the burn became distracting, Wade gave firmer pressure to Peter’s throbbing cock.

This process repeated until Peter was taking three of Wade’s fingers easily, thrusting back on them and then pushing up into Wade’s fist. For a few moments, Wade appreciated the sight of that, saving it permanently into the spank bank.

Wade pulled his fingers out and let go of Peter’s dick. He pressed himself along the length of Peter’s body and purred as it writhed against him, desperate for more sensation. Wade mouthed along Peter’s jawline and nipped at one earlobe.

“Last chance, Spidey. Do you want me to fuck you or get you off?”

Peter took in a shuddering breath before his hands shot up to grip Wade’s face and forcibly yank it into place so they were looking eye to eye. Peter’s pupils were blown wide, but his face was set and serious. “Get your dick inside of me  _ now _ .”

“Yes, sir!” Wade squeaked. He finished that thought with a searing kiss, both of their tongues fighting for dominance.

When they separated, Wade pulled Peter onto his side and pushed one leg up. It was best to start things off in the easiest position. Wade was determined to make this as enjoyable as possible for Peter.

When Wade lined up and pressed against Peter’s entrance, he expected to have to coach Peter through how to relax and let him in. Wade did not expect for the tip of his dick to just slip right on in and Peter’s body to stay perfectly relaxed during that. Wade blinked down at their now joined bodies in surprise.

“Have you done this before?”

Peter made an annoyed sound. “I have experimented and done the research. Stop talking. Move.”

“Right.” That was totally something Wade was gonna nag for further details on later.

For right now, he had a job to do. A very enjoyable job. With great benefits.

Wade slid forward carefully and Peter took a long inhale of breath and gripped the sheets hard in his hands. Despite that, Peter stayed surprisingly relaxed, so Wade kept going until he was fully sheathed. He stopped and let Peter adjust to the intrusion.

“Doing good?” Wade checked in.

“It’s… intense.”

“Such flattery!”

“I swear I’ll hit you.”

“And I swear I’ll be turned on by it!”

Wade chuckled at Peter’s annoyed look and leaned down to kiss it away. When Peter was lost in the kiss, Wade started grinding, letting the smaller man get used to the sensation of movement while being so full. Peter let out a small noise of pleasure-pain that went straight to Wade’s dick.

“We’ll start slow,” Wade spoke against Peter’s lips and started a gentle and shallow tempo.

Peter whined, one arm slipping up Wade’s arm and wrapping around broad shoulders. He looked entirely invested in the here and now, unable to focus on anything but the uncommon intrusion. That was what Wade was aiming for. If Peter even tried to think of something else, he’d kick it up a notch until Peter was screaming.

Not that Wade needed an excuse to want Peter screaming in too-much pleasure, but Wade was determined to do things right for their first time. So he kept the pace even and built slowly, keeping a close eye on Peter’s reactions to make sure he adjusted accordingly.

Wade was at a steady pace when Peter suddenly refocused on Wade’s face and said, “Are you even enjoying yourself? You’re concentRA-ting so hard.”

“That’s because I’m recording this in my brain.” Wade grinned and snapped his hips in the same way to yank that noise out of Peter again. “I enjoy watching you enjoy it.”

“Fuck, Wade… Just—” Peter gasped, his hands gripping hard at Wade’s skin.

“You need it harder, Baby Boy? I think you do if you can still talk.”

“Wai—” But Peter didn’t get to finish.

Wade tilted his hips and started slamming hard enough to cause a sharp slap of skin on skin. Peter’s nails dug into Wade’s flesh to a painful degree and his head dropped back with a shout of surprise. A tremor rippled through Peter’s body, forcing a harsh inhale of breath. Wade was in heaven watching it all.

“You’re so perfect.”

Peter could only keen in response. His dick twitched, precum dribbling from the tip. Wade watched it bounce with the force of his hips for a while before he reached down and started pumping it just the way Peter liked it. That pulled a whole slew of new noises from Peter.

“Wade, Wade,  _ Wade _ , WADE!” Peter chanted over and over as he thrashed and moaned and fought for enough breath.

“C’mon, Petey. Just like that,” Wade cooed, enraptured by Peter’s desperate features.

With a shout, Peter’s back arched, his head digging into the mattress, and his body shuddering. Strings of ejaculate painted the sheets as Peter cried out his pleasure. A wicked grin spread across Wade’s face. Now came the fun part.

Wade didn’t stop his hips or slow down in the slightest. The hand on Peter’s cock slowed and loosened, but still kept moving. It wasn’t long before Peter was thrashing hard enough that Wade had to put effort in keeping things going. All manner of noises fell from Peter’s lips.

Peter was by and far stronger than Wade. Though he bucked hard enough to lift Wade off the bed a few times, he didn’t actively shove Wade away. Whines and pleas fell from Peter’s lips, but he never called a stop. Wade planned to wear Peter out and Peter was obviously allowing that.

So Wade worked Peter through the worst of the over-stimulation and then built him back up, letting him ride a high of mind numbing pleasure. At some point Peter’s eyes stopped functioning, choosing instead to roll around randomly as his eyelids fluttered around them. That was soon followed by a fine trembling in Peter’s limbs as they went slack against the bed, only his hips still jerking randomly, seeking or escaping pleasure in turns.

It was at that point Wade’s buried his face into Peter’s neck and let go, allowing himself to finally find release. Their breathing was harsh and loud when Wade finally stilled. He kissed his way up Peter’s neck and mouthed along Peter’s jaw. It took some time for Peter to register the movement, but when he did, he turned and placed a lazy kiss on Wade’s lips.

The most adorable noise was ripped from Peter when Wade pulled out. He left soothing kisses along Peter’s face before standing up to grab the necessary items to clean them both up. Wade didn’t remember when he had stripped, but he was completely naked. Not that he minded.

When they were both wiped clean and Peter moved away from the mess of semen, sweat, and lube on the bed, Wade plastered himself to Peter’s back. Wade’s limbs wrapped around Peter like a clingy octopus. Quadropus? Either way, Peter didn’t seem to mind. He snuggled into the warmth of Wade’s body with an exhausted sigh.

Peter fell asleep to the feeling of gentle kisses being placed in his hair and the nonsensical murmur of Wade’s affectionate words. It was a deep and dreamless sleep, free of worries and responsibilities. Wade stayed where he was the entire time Peter slept, wanting to make sure the got the most out of what was likely to be the last of their peaceful nights for a while to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally watched Finding Dory (it’s on Netflix currently) and the septopus joke just cracked me up. (Also that movie made me cry. T.T THE SHELLS)
> 
> It took a while for me to get through this sex scene. Dunno why I wasn’t feeling it as much as I usually do and I had to wait a few days to get my shmexy groove back. lol On the upside, I skipped it and continued writing, so I have some chapters stacked up again! Yay! But I wanted to get this sexy times in since there won’t be a chance for a while after this. Plot is gonna kick up real fast. So look forward to that!
> 
> I’d also like to note that Tony isn’t 100% in the wrong here. From his perspective, Peter is in hiding for an unknown reason, refuses to contact or see anyone, looks sick, is hyper paranoid, and is now apparently living with a person with lax moral codes. It would be responsible for anyone to have an intervention with Peter at this point. So from an outsider’s perspective, Tony is doing the right thing. If Peter was in a more rational state of mind, he’d realize that. But, ya know, paranoia. lol
> 
> Ahhhhh! I'm really looking forward to the next two chapters! ^.^ I hope you guys are, too.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeeeee! More fanart, guys! By [Spazkitty](https://spazkittyx3.tumblr.com/post/160249711938/humble-doodle-of-wade-and-li-li-for). OMG! SO AMAZING! LOOK! Wade and Li-Li!!! <3 They're so cute. ^.^
> 
>  
> 
>   
> (I have spoken to this artist, discussed this with them, have permission from them to show this picture, have permission to talk about this picture, have permission to note and link to the artist who drew it, and am in continuous contact with this artist. Thank you.)

It took a week for the team to show up at the manor house. Wade had been prepping the surrounding area constantly. Peter was focused on making food and taking care of the kids. He could barely sleep through his anxiety. Wade did what he could to make Peter feel secure.

They were notified well in advance of the group showing up. Peter took the kids to the innermost room of the house that would fit them all. They were both suited up and ready for action. Wade made his way out to the edge of the metal egg, ready to face off with the Avengers.

Peter had theorized that Tony would only bring those that knew his identity and that seemed to be true. Tony, Steve, and Natasha all stood on the other side of the framework, arms at their sides, looking intimidating but not threatening. The tension in the air was too much so Wade pulled a button from his pouch and hit it. The speaker system kicked on and played suspenseful music.

Tony’s helmet wasn’t on and he gave Wade a dirty look for that. Natasha looked like she was trying not to facepalm. The boxes high fived. Well, as best they could being non-corporeal.

“So you finally found the needle in the haystack.” Wade propped his hands on his hips.

“Since I had to fix the satellites anyways, may as well upgrade them and do a full scan of the planet. I should thank you for that.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“A giant silver dome in the middle of a forest really sticks out.”

“I’ve been meaning to paint it.”

“Wade,” Steve took a small step forward in order to take control of the conversation, otherwise Tony and Wade would go at it all day. “We’re here as friends. We want to help.”

“Don’t need your help. He don’t want you here and neither do I. Shoo, shoo!” Wade waved them away with his hands but they didn’t move.

“If that’s true, then we’ll leave,” Steve bargained. “But we’re not leaving until we talk to Peter.”

“You already did. A week ago. He said not to come. Duh.”

Tony’s fist clenched. “What did you do to him?”

“Me?! I fed him! He gets so wrapped up he forgets to eat. See? I’m taking care of him.”

“Wrapped up in what?” Natasha asked in her emotionless interrogation voice.

Wade waggled his masked eyebrows lewdly. For once, the innuendo was true!

“If you’ve laid a finger on him—” Tony growled.

“And if he wants me to lay a finger on him? And more? What then, Tony? Huh? Huh?” Wade couldn’t deny that he was enjoying the situation just a little bit. Tony’s quickly redding face was a joy to see.

“How is holing up in the middle of nowhere, with no friends or family, where the only form of communication is a psycho mercenary, even remotely healthy?!” Tony exploded.

It wasn’t like Tony didn’t have a point. Wade worried about Peter’s lack of social interaction. After all, Peter had grown up in a city crawling with people and now there was nobody here but Wade, the kids, and the sounds of the forest. Quite often Peter mumbled about how quiet it was.

Still, Wade wasn’t going to admit that to Tony. “Maybe he just needs a break from all your yapping!”

“Oh, like you’re any better.” That comment actually came from Natasha and Tony looked mad that she’d beaten him to it.

“Look,” Steve cut in again. “If we can understand  _ why _ Peter doesn’t trust us, then maybe we could put his mind at ease. Maybe it’s not as bad as he thinks.”

There was some truth in that, but it made no difference. Even if Wade avoided saying anything specific, they would figure out that  _ mutant _ was somehow involved. Likely, they would assume that Spider-man had mutated like before, which was kind of true, and immediately try to fix it. Tony would be dead set on turning Peter back into full human, whether Peter wanted that or not.

“And maybe you guys are nosy neighbors that’s just looking for drama!”

“Damn it!” Tony shouted. “No healthy or mentally stable person hermits themselves away for three years for no reason!”

Wade’s Hello Kitty watch beeped and he looked down at it in alarm. Security breach. They had split up into teams. Wade cursed creatively and Tony raised his arms, suit whining as it charged. He aimed through the holes in the metal, but Wade was faster.

Peter had specifically requested that Wade avoid any excess harm and was adamant about everyone staying alive, so Wade was prepared. He threw a device at Tony that sent the suit into spasms. He dropped to the ground with a heavy thunk.

Natasha shot Wade, but it hardly mattered, it was already healing. He shot her with a tranq and then hit the button for one of his tree drones outside the egg to hit Steve with a large amount of immobilizing foam. He fought it, but the foam won.

Whipping out his usual gun, Wade shot into the shadows of the forest in time to hit Clint’s arrow dead on. The resulting explosion sent the man flying backwards and bouncing off trees. They were idiots to think Wade wasn’t prepared for their attacks. Sure, he preferred winging it, but if he had to buckle down somewhere, he was going to make it the best damn fort in the world.

They likely thought that being so far away from the house would slow him down. That was dumb, too, now that he had his transporter back. He hit the button and popped back into reality inside the house. The skin crawling chorus of chitters was coming from the room down the hall where Peter was hiding with the kids. 

Wade took off in that direction and burst through the doors while drawing his blades. He didn’t want a ricochet bullet to hit one of the kids. He slid sideways to a stop in front of a large pile of upset dog sized spiders hiding under the belly of a spider big enough to brush the ceiling. It was unsurprising that Peter’s panic had forced him to shift.

Currently, Peter was backed into a corner as far as he could go, two front legs held up along with his palps in order to look threatening. Wade idly wondered if Peter would attack, but he didn’t. He let Wade stand in front of him, back to his formidable form, as they both squared off against the new threat.

In front of Wade stood Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Thor. Vision looked as neutral as ever, but Wanda looked horror struck as she balled her magic up in front of her. Thor was smiling, hammer twirling in his hand as he eyed his new challenge.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING LAY A FINGER ON HIM!” Wade bellowed, prepared to slice off the hand of the first person that so much as twitched.

The room held its breath, waiting on someone to make the first move. However, it wasn’t either group that broke the tense scene. With a hiccuping breath and a wail, Li toddled towards Wade, stumbling and tripping as she went, blinded by her own tears.

Li currently had six arms and was highly upset about it. Her body was likely trying to shift due to the danger and she was desperately trying to stop it. The three Avenger’s gaped at her and Wade’s eyes flicked back and forth between them and Li, unsure of which should be a priority.

When Li was close enough, she looked up at Wade, saw his mask, and flinched back in fear. It had been a long time since she’d seen him in a mask, and with swords at the ready, he probably looked pretty scary. That easily did Wade in and he quickly sheathed the swords and ripped his mask off.

“Hey! Li-Li, it’s okay! Look, it’s me.”

“Maaaah!” Li raised all of her arms up instantly and Wade scooped her up and placed her on his hip. She clung to him, sobbing out her fear into his chest. He ran one hand soothingly up and down her back as he murmured nonsense at her. His other hand drew a gun and aimed it steadily at the three in front of him.

“Shhh, it’s okay. Momma’s got you. I bet it hurt to bust out those arms, huh? Just calm down. They’ll go away. Shh, it’s gonna be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“That is a child.” Thor’s voice was half in awe as he stated the obvious, hammer dropping to his side.

“Touch a hair on her head and I swear I’ll put a bullet in your Asgardian ass,” Wade growled before going back to cooing at Li.

When Li’s sobs lessened, she looked up and reached her top set of hands out to Peter, making needy noises. There was a long pause and then Peter leaned down, his palps dropping in order to reach out and run soothingly through her hands. Li was far from finished with her crying, but at least she wasn’t horrifically upset anymore.

She needed a diaper change, though.

“Oh my god…” Wanda whispered as her power tapered out. She looked around at the bits of costume on the floor and then up at the giant spider. “That’s Spider-man.”

Thor made a face the equivalent of “Well would you look at that?” as he propped a hand on his hip. “Huh… I did not know Spider-man was a shifter!”

Wanda, Vision, and Wade all gave him incredulous looks.

“What?” Thor blinked. “Is he not supposed to be?”

 

~*~

 

It took an hour for the group outside the dome to get back on their feet. Clint was beat up, but nothing serious, Natasha was groggily coming to, Tony was able to get his systems back up and running, and Steve was  _ finally _ able to escape the foam.

Still, they couldn’t get through the dome. Whatever it was enforced with wasn’t budging, despite Tony’s angered attempts at breaking through. It was likely vibranium based, though Steve was unsure how Peter and Wade had managed to acquire that much and then build the structure without anyone the wiser.

Also, the damn suspenseful music was still playing. Clint was subtly looking for the speakers in order to shoot them.

“Tony, stop wasting energy. We’ll wait on the others to come to us.” Steve pulled at bits of foam still sticking to his uniform.

“Communications are out!” Tony argued. “If he can shut  _ me _ down, what has he done to those three?”

Natasha settled further back against the dome from where she was sitting and raised her eyebrows. “You mean the god, the witch, and the magically powered android?”

“You hold yourself in high regard,” Clint tacked on in agreement as he casually shot one of the speakers.

“We need to know what’s going on in there!” Tony shouted, gesturing angrily.

“We need to trust in our teammates,” Steve calmly returned.

Before Tony could come up with a comment scathing enough, Vision came into view. He floated down to the group and through the bars of the dome. He landed lightly and his eyes checked them all over for injuries. “Is everyone alright?”

“We’re okay,” Steve confirmed. “Did you find Peter?”

“Yes.”

There was a long pause as Vision said nothing further. Tony eyed him suspiciously. “ _ And _ ?”

“I would like to request a leave of absence. I am going to stay here to assist Mr. Parker.”

“What?!” Tony and Clint both snapped.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Steve waved his hand to get everyone to quiet back down. “Communications were down. We don’t know what happened with your team. I feel like we’re missing some key information here.”

“You are,” Vision said simply and looked between Steve and Tony, waiting on them to approve his request.

“What the hell?!” Tony exploded. “Is there some magic spell of secrecy in there?! Are you compromised as well?!”

“No one is compromised,” Vision assured. “Mr. Parker is concerned about your personal judgements and stigmas interfering with the respect of his privacy and choices.” There was a pause as Vision looked everyone in the eyes, Tony’s twice. “I agree.”

“Traitor,” Tony growled. “I made you, ya know.”

Vision just cocked an eyebrow.

“Is there any way we can prove that we are on Peter’s side and that we want to hear his story in order to help?” Steve asked in a valiantly calm voice.

“Yes.” Vision turned to look at Steve. “Let me stay with Mr. Parker in order to assist him. Allow Wanda to deliver supplies here without interrogation of what is happening inside. Prove that he can trust you with his safety by maintaining his privacy and allowing only our group entrance.”

“And what makes you three so different from us?” Tony challenged.

Vision studied the four humans in front of him. “Quite a bit.”

Some distance away, the wind picked up and lightning struck the ground in an obscene amount. A moment later there was a flash of light and then it vanished as if it had never been. The group stared at the spectacle. The second the small storm dissipated, Tony turned on Vision.

“What the hell was that?”

“Thor is returning to Asgard.”

“Why?”

“To inquire on someone’s assistance.”

 

~*~

 

Thor made his way down to the prison cells beneath the castle. There was one cell set apart from the rest and he headed towards it. Two guards stood outside the door to the hall. The guards were no longer allowed inside after word got out about what Thor had done. They had started torturing the prisoner at that point.

The guards parted and allowed him through. He walked down the quiet hall to the last and only occupied cell. It was well furnished and supplied, but it did nothing to lighten the mood of its occupant. The prisoner in question sat curled on a plush couch, limbs limp, staring blindly at the wall.

“Do you have an illusion up?” Thor asked.

“No,” Loki responded in a hoarse whisper.

“Have the guards come in here since my absence?”

“No.”

The marking on Loki’s forehead stood out in contrast to his pale skin. It was red, as if the wound was still fresh, but it was not. It would simply stay that way for the rest of Loki’s life. There was no undoing that kind of spell.

Thor had learned of the Sigil of Truth long ago when someone had let it slip in a bout of drinking. The spell was banned, punishable by death if anyone even thought to use it. But such rules did not apply to kings of Asgard. 

When Loki first went astray, wreaking havoc in his wake, Thor had argued with his father about using the spell when Loki was captured. Instead, Odin had sealed Loki’s mouth shut as punishment and told Thor never to think of the spell again.

Nobody would explain it to Thor, why such magic was banned when it could be so infinitely useful. They just warned him against it. That all forbidden magic had a reason to be forbidden.

When Loki had killed and posed as their father, Thor had been devastated upon discovery of the farce. When Loki was finally captured once more, Thor performed the spell himself, carving the sigil into Loki’s forehead as his brother screamed for mercy.

That hadn’t been the part that taught Thor his lesson about the Sigil of Truth.

No, it had been when Thor finally decided to question Loki. He had stared at his brother’s snarling face from outside the cell, pain welling up inside of him. Finally, he had asked a single, pain-filled question.

“Why?”

That was when the horror began. Loki was compelled to answer, but the sigil would take nothing short of the entire truth. So Loki gave it all. Hours of Loki divulging everything that had hurt him over the years. Odin’s treatment and expectations, Loki never being able to correctly guess what was expected of him, Loki being looked at and treated like an outsider which he later discovered he was.

Then came the things Thor had been entirely unaware of. The times Loki had run away seeking a peaceful life free of the politics of court and the expectations of their father. The punishments Odin had inflicted on Loki that had caused such heartbreaking pain. The shattered heart and mind Loki tried to hide from everyone as he was forced to live a life he hated.

Loki sobbed during the confession. Screamed and heaved and lashed out at his surroundings. The words didn’t stop. They didn’t stop when his voice grew weak or when his throat bled as he clawed at it to try and force himself to stop. He kept speaking even as he collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion, voice barely a whisper. The magic refused to leave him be until the truth was told.

Thor stood through it all in his own form of punishment. Watching it play out, hearing about his brother’s life from the perspective of the one who lived it — it was torture. But it was much less than Loki’s. A man who had kept his feelings close and his heart closed off to all was forced to bare his soul and relive the worst moments of his life.

When the spell finally finished its work, Loki blacked out, limp and lifeless on the dirty stone floor of the cell. Thor had shut himself in his room for days after that, unable to cope with what he had done and what he had learned.

His brother was a broken man and his father was responsible for that. It made the knowledge of Odin’s death bitter and the capture of his brother conflicting. He wished with all his might that his mother was there to lend her council.

Now, Thor stood once more in front of Loki’s cell. The isolation was to protect Loki, but it did him no favors. Thor had always been looking for a way to apologize. He couldn’t make it right, as there was no fixing what he’d done, but he could offer Loki peace if ever he found the chance to do so.

“Do you wish to rule over anyone?” Thor asked.

“No…” Loki turned his head away. That had been the answer for a long time. A few times, Thor had asked why and hadn’t liked the answer. He didn’t ask this time. He knew the answer and the deep sorrow his brother held within him.

“I have an offer for you.”

“I want none of your empty promises or pointless offers of comfort. I do not want to be given useless chances to be forgiven by others. I do not want their forgiveness.”

“I know…” Thor said quietly. He had heard that before. 

At first, Loki had fought such words, biting his own tongue and clamping his teeth together. Lately, he just spoke with a bone weary exhaustion.

“If I offered you a chance to live with your son again, would you take it?”

There was a long stretch of silence before Loki looked over at Thor with eyes wide and filled with pain. “I would give anything I could for that as long as he was safe and happy and I could keep him that way. I do not believe your offer.”

The spell forced the truth out of Loki, even if a question was not directly asked. He often let Thor know that he didn’t believe what the man said. Thor had long since learned that Loki believed everyone around him was lying and manipulating for their own gain. Thor had also learned that a large part of that paranoia had been caused by their father and his advisors.

“I have a friend on Earth that is in need of assistance from a shape shifter. If you can help him and bring safety to his home, then I will allow you to live there with Sleipnir so long as you are assisting them.”

A tear escaped and rolled down Loki’s cheek, but he didn’t seem to notice. Hope and fear warred on Loki’s face. “I am afraid of believing you. I fear I will not survive your lie…” Loki whispered in a voice so broken it squeezed at Thor’s heart.

Thor chose his words carefully, not wanting to force Loki to speak more than he had to. “If you have ever found it in yourself to trust me at any point in our history together, then I ask you to put that trust in me now. I have made many mistakes. The citizens called for your head and I selfishly did this to you instead, believing it to be the better path. I cannot undo that, nor can I ever make it right. 

“However, I can give you this one thing: a life outside of Asgard, with no high expectations of you, where you can live quietly with your son. Please, Loki. You have suffered enough.”

It was difficult not addressing Loki as “brother” but Thor had learned that set off terrible bouts of truth driven rage from Loki. So Thor held his tongue and chose his words with care and sorrow.

Loki stared at Thor for a long time before he spoke softly, “I desire time to think. My head is clouded by emotion. I want until morning.”

“I understand. I will see you on the morrow.” Thor gave a single nod and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You- Wait! Loki is the surprise character study?  
> Me- Yup!  
> You- Is he gonna be a regular character in this fic?  
> Me- You betcha!  
> You- …You’re a Hiddlestoner, aren’t you? You just put him in this fic because you think he’s hot.  
> Me- Wha- N- Sh-shut up!
> 
> But srsly, Loki is a fascinating character in Marvel and in Norse mythology. I am no historian, so even though I will be using traditional Norse stuff as a basis for some of this, I will be warping it to my needs just like Marvel! :-D I am by no means an expert on mythology (and I don’t know how to pronounce any of their damn names), but reading some of the stories is both fascinating and horrifying. Thor is a fucking mindless brute and Loki is 1000% done with everyone around him. The wikipedia page is worth glancing through at least once.
> 
> These scenes went by a lot faster than what I thought they would. Why is romance so much more lengthy to write? XD Oh, well. Lots of plot progression! Yay!
> 
> Poor Tony. Still left out in the cold. lulz
> 
>  
> 
> If you guys have anything you'd like to see happen with the kids over the next year, now is the time to offer ideas. My head is all over the place with this story and I'm doing so many time jumps. XD I need more quality time with the kids. So send me your ideas so I can form a plot out of it! hehe


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we have previously discussed, I have no chill. Also, I really really really wanted to get the Loki part out there because I loved writing it. <3
> 
> Traditionally, Loki is a shapeshifter. In the movies, he just had the ability of creating illusions. I decided to let Loki have both of those abilities. It is important to note that Loki is not a hermaphrodite (as I have often seen him depicted in fanfics). He is just capable of shifting to any gender he wants. If he switches gender, I will use appropriate pronouns during that part.

When Loki was a child, he and Thor had much the same ideas about life. Battle, glory, protecting the realms, and one day ruling Asgard were the only things that mattered. Everyone around them filled their heads with fanciful tales and boasted of great victories.

As they became older, Loki became more aware. Odin had expectations of his sons. He wanted them to do certain things and learn certain lessons. However, he would not tell them what any of those expectations were. Despite that, if they failed, they would be punished. If they succeeded, they would be idly praised and sent on towards their next lesson.

Thor apparently acted much as Odin had in his younger days. That made Odin more sympathetic when it came to Thor’s mistakes. They were both hard headed and single minded. It took Thor many times to learn things the hard way. Loki didn’t prefer to go about life in such a way.

He found all manner of ancient knowledge and learned from it, sat with the elders to listen to their stories, spoke with the magic wielders to learn valuable lessons. Odin disapproved. He believed that knowledge and character came from failed experiences because that was how he had learned it himself. Not that Loki understood that reasoning as a child.

All Loki understood was the disappointed looks, the harsh lectures, and the punishments that were always so much worse than Thor’s.

Thor almost got himself killed three times in a row? An annoyed frown from Odin. Loki figured out an easier way to solve the problem? Odin had him camp in a cave during a horrific storm with no supplies to “build character.”

Their mother was always upset when things like that happened. She helped whenever she could, but Odin was not always to be persuaded. Whenever Loki found the courage to argue his circumstances, his father would give great and heart wrenching speeches about how trails built a great ruler.

Odin would level a look on Loki that felt as if it passed through his very soul and ask, “Do you want to be a great and noble ruler one day? Well loved, wise, and strong? A ruler with respect that no one would dare challenge?”

“Yes, father.” Loki would bow his head while shoving his hurt and anger aside.

Yet, those words fixed nothing for Loki. The bitterness was still there. It festered and grew and with each new idiotic thing his brother did and with each creative punishment Odin gave, Loki could feel himself breaking. Some days he questioned if he even wanted to rule. Petty politics, petty wars, petty judgemental eyes of everyone around you…

Was that really what he wanted?

The first time Loki ran away, he only meant for it to last a few days. However, he came upon sight after sight of lands untouched and nature so simple. It was peaceful and it beckoned to him like nothing ever had in his life. Every animal he saw, he shifted to in order to experience the world through their eyes. They had trials of their own, that was for sure, but they were simple and clear cut. It put Loki at ease.

Months later, he was discovered and dragged back to his father. When Loki begged to return, begged to live life as a god of nature, begged to be a hermit if he had to, Odin became furious. That was the first time Loki experienced true pain. Odin decided that Loki needed to learn his place in the world and how his mind would never be as simple as a mere animal’s.

Loki was beat, burned, and left in agony. He survived. The deer across from him that went through the same things allowed herself to die the first day. Odin saw that as a lesson — proof that Loki was more than a simplistic creature.

What it proved to Loki was that he would never understand his father and his father would never understand Loki. And that Loki’s life would always be some form of pain. He had nightmares for years after that. Not because of what happened to _him_ , but because of what had happened to the doe.

It was years later before Loki ran away again. He hadn’t intended to do so; he just wanted some time away. However, out in the wide open fields beyond the royal grounds, he was fascinated by a creature so strong and free and happy. A large horse, jet black in color, strong muscles intimidating any predator that dared come close to it.

Loki watched in heart-aching envy as it galloped through the grass, free and unconcerned of the world around it. The horse was confident in its ability to protect itself, and sure of its place in the world. Loki desperately wanted that.

He thought of shifting, of running with the stallion, but that was a horse so dominant it would allow no other near it than the perfect mate. Of course, Loki could be that, the mare it so desired. And Loki almost did, but lost his courage at the last second.

Still, he couldn’t stop thinking of it. He wanted to run like that, be free of all concerns, confident in his place in the world, afraid of nothing. He dreamt of it constantly. Wind rushing through his mane, strength bulking through his body, the simple joy of a simple mind.

He started going on more outings, in order to find the horse again. Watch it. Live vicariously through it. He didn’t always see it, but when he did, it offered him such a sense of calm that he managed to get through the next few weeks somewhat rationally.

Then the day came that Loki saw someone attempting to tame the stallion. Harness it, use it for their own selfish needs. Loki had exploded in anger and killed the man without fully realizing he had done so. Loki removed the bonds from the horse, but it only looked down on Loki, judging him for being involved with such a selfish race.

Loki panicked, unable to handle such a response from his idolized embodiment of peace. Unable to breathe, unable to think, he acted on instinct and shifted. He knew exactly the type of creature the horse wanted to see, so Loki became exactly that. The strong and confidant mare that the horse wanted as a mate.

What Loki had expected was violent demands to breed. That was not what happened. The horse presented himself, showing off, doing everything possible to get Loki to accept _him_. And Loki found herself flattered by it. She demanded that he be gentle, so he was. She demanded that they run, so they did. She demanded love and care, so he provided.

They were happy together. Loki lost herself in that world of freedom and open lands. Her mate was kind and caring and demanded nothing that would make her sad or upset. For the first time in her life, Loki could say that she was happy.

They spent years together and inevitably, they had a child. The birth was painful, but her mate stayed through the entire thing, comforting her, encouraging her. The foal was different, a full eight legs on his spindly frame. Loki had been concerned at first, but when her mate helped their child stand, Loki’s fears were washed away. Their child was perfect and they were happy.

A small part of Loki’s mind was still aware of little things that were decidedly not horse-like, such as names. She named her child Sleipnir, and kept the name close to her heart, knowing that her mate and child could care less about names when they understood each other by presence alone.

Sleipnir grew into a strong and powerful horse, much like his father. Loki was so proud, her heart felt fit to burst from it. They were happy together. So happy.

And in a single moment, it was gone.

Odin discovered what Loki had done and spent years trying to cover it up. Elaborate stories of who the steed was, why Loki had mated with it, and the purpose of the resulting child. When Odin’s plans were set, he took Loki away, cast out the mate, and took the child as his own personal steed.

Loki was locked away in his room for a long while after that, not that he cared. He sobbed for weeks, unable to handle the loss of his perfect world. He yearned to see his son, but was constantly refused, told that it wouldn’t help his presence at court to have anything to do with the “monstrous abomination.”

When Loki was utterly broken, he was allowed once more into the politics of court. He was mocked openly about his “one night stand” with a horse. Odin encouraged such comments, believing they would help Loki to realize what he had done wrong. The only thing Loki realized was how pathetic everyone around him was.

This process continued for years. Loki would get to a point that he couldn’t handle being surrounded by horrific people with their lies and idiotic behavior. He would run away. He would find peace with others. Sometimes the ache of his lost child would overwhelm him and he would give birth to another.

None of the children came out “normal” in Asgardian terms. Loki loved them all the same, but ached for them as well, knowing they would be treated cruelly for their appearance if ever they were discovered. He just didn’t realize how much further his father would go in that cruelty. Well beyond what Loki could ever imagine, that was for certain.

When Loki discovered his parentage, realized why his children would never be of pure blood, why his father would never see Loki as worthy… it broke something deep inside of him. What had been the point of all of it? Why had Odin dangled those words of responsibility and respect over Loki’s head all those years if they were so empty and meaningless? Why not be honest about the reasons such torture was inflicted upon Loki?

His entire life had been a lie. A joke. He was raised as an excuse for blame. He was mocked and ridiculed and laughed at. He was shunned and beaten and spat upon. Worthless. Pointless. _Other_.

Loki would show them. He’d show them all what he was capable of. They would tremble at his feet and rue the day they’d ever put their gaze upon him.

 

~*~

 

Loki stared listlessly at the wall of his cell. The hall was nothing but oppressive silence. Sometimes it bothered him, but he had to admit that it was far better than interaction with the guards. When they had discovered the Sigil of Truth and what it meant, they started asking him all manner of mocking questions.

The rumor was that Loki had spent a single night with a horse as a way to attone for some bad luck he had somehow caused in order to fix an issue that later Thor resolved himself. None of it was true, but that didn’t stop the questions.

“Did you enjoy fucking a horse?”

“Yes.”

Riotous laughter. “How many times did you two go at it?”

“I cannot recall. Many times.”

Lewd remarks, obscene gestures, tears of mirth.

The only thing worse than dealing with them mocking his once loving mate, was having to admit to Thor that it was happening and how it affected Loki. Thor had simply asked “How are you being treated?” and Loki was forced to spew the truth from his traitorous lips. Since then, nobody was allowed to speak to Loki except for Thor.

Really, Loki’s life now should have been expected. He kept telling himself that nothing worse could happen to him than had already been done. Life kept proving him wrong. He had thought himself broken in the past, but it was nothing compared to his life after the sigil. He felt so painfully empty, his insides shredded to the point of agonizing numbness.

Loki had been convinced he would never feel anything again. Once more, life had proved him wrong.

Thor had no idea what he dangled in front of Loki. A chance to see his son again, to live together once more, was something Loki had long ago stopped dreaming of. And now… Now he wanted so desperately to believe Thor. He wanted that opportunity.

But at what cost? At the cost of betrayal and more lies? At the cost of being manipulated only to realize that the promise was empty after all?

Oh how he desperately wanted to say that it wasn’t worth the risk. That he’d rather live out his life trapped in the silence of his cell.

But…

The thought of his child. The idea of seeing Sleipnir again. Of having that bond again. Of the happiness they once shared. Of allowing his child to run free once more…

Loki wouldn’t risk the pain for himself… but he’d risk it for his child.

So when Thor returned and stood silently outside the cell, awaiting Loki’s answer without speaking a word, Loki was prepared with his decision.

“What exactly does this task entail?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, at one point in Norse mythology, Loki walks into a feast he was banned from and insults the gods there. Calling them childish and idiotic and stuff. They verbally attack him but he always has a quip available. Thor shows up and when Loki quips at him, Thor threatens to beat Loki with his hammer. That exchange goes back and forth with Loki dropping smooth insults and Thor only being able to respond with “I will smash you!”
> 
> The scene ends with Loki being _strapped to a rock_ by the _entrails of one of his children_ , and being _waterboarded_ with a _poisonous snake_ whose venom burned so great that his thrashing caused _earthquakes_.
> 
> Meanwhile, Odin wonders what caused his son to become a monster. Must be in Loki’s blood or something.  
> This is kinda what I’m going off of in regards to Loki’s insanity and hate filled soul. I wanted to explore the “what if” of Loki dealing with his brutish family his entire life and how that affected him mentally. How nobody is evil, it is circumstances and instability that drive them crazy.
> 
> Further, I wanted to explore Loki’s need to shapeshift and live elsewhere instead of in the royal court. I especially wanted to delve into Loki’s kids. His kids are often openly mocked and used against him because they aren’t considered normal or worthy of being treated with respect because they look different or they take the form of animals. Which is, of course, something Peter is terrified of happening to his own kids.
> 
> This allows Loki to be sympathetic to the cause. He knows the horrors that innocent children can face and will protect them and nurture them. And ultimately, he’ll be given a chance to do that with his own child as well.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to get more sleep, guys. zomg. Anywho, have a chapter! I like posting earlier than a week. I'm tryin'. XD

“ _Loki_?!” Peter was practically in hysterics. “Are you fucking kidding me?!”

Thor held up his hands placatingly, looking nervous. “Now, now. Things are different from what they once were.”

“You said you were going to go get help! Not bring a psychopath to babysit my kids!”

Peter was shaking so bad that Wade had to shuffle closer in order to and wrap the man in his arms. Peter didn’t relax so much as he simply leaned back into Wade’s body and stopped foaming at the mouth. It was somewhat better.

“He will not bring harm to your children,” Thor promised. “He will assist them, teach them, and protect them.”

“He’s _Loki_!”

Thor looked both uncomfortable and monumentally sad over that response. “He is… not the same person he once was.”

“And you can guarantee that how? He’s the trickster god, for fuck’s sake!”

“I have done something terrible to him, something that should never be done. He can no longer speak lies, only truth, to its fullest extent. In that regard, you must keep all questions to him as simple as possible, requiring only a few words as an answer.”

“Wait,” Wade blinked. “So you cast an Invention of Lying spell on him?”

Thor stared at Wade in blank confusion, but Peter just ignored the unknown pop culture reference and focused on the problem at hand. “Great, sure, he can’t lie. So he’ll be totally honest with me as he tells me how he’s gonna kill me and take over the world. Thanks for that.”

“Loki no longer has any desire to rule. Further, I have made him a bargain he will not refuse.”

“What bargain?”

“A life with his child.”

Peter tensed in Wade’s arms, eyes narrowing on Thor. “You’re holding his kid hostage?”

“It is a complicated situation. My father took Sleipnir as his personal steed many years ago.”

“Wha… Steed?”

“Yes. Loki’s first born is much the same as your own children. It happens when shifters bear children in a different form.”

As Peter processed that information, Nick burst from his hiding place in an attempt to tackle Thor. Like the solid rock of strength Thor was, he didn’t budge. Instead he laughed indulgently and patted Nick on his thorax.

“I did not see you at all, little one. Well done!”

If a spider could pout, Nick was pouting. He promptly ran off to re-evaluate and plan his next attack. Wade left him to it. Wasn’t like Thor could get hurt. Also, Thor was the only one other than Wade who the kids were trying to practice their hunting skills on. Vision had just phased through them, which had effectively terrified most of them. Wanda proved herself to be a worthy opponent with her ability to simply hold them in midair so they avoided her — for now.

Wade had been a bit unsure of how well Wanda would cope with the kids. However, after being regarded as nothing more than a terrifying weapon of mass destruction for years after joining the Avengers, she had developed a strong empathy towards those considered different. Currently, she was on food production duty and safely behind the glass walls and away from the chaos that was the children.

Vision was on baby chasing duty. He was extraordinarily adept at it, considering he could float through walls and fly. Since his arrival, the poop stains on the ceiling and food stains on the walls had lessened a full 90% and Wade was thankful.

Considering the nature of Vision’s being, he saw nothing wrong with the state of the children. He also fully understood Peter’s paranoia about being discovered. It was Vision’s argument that had swayed Thor and Wanda to keep the secret from the rest of the team. They could all agree on two things: 1) Tony’s reaction would be explosive. 2) Steve would tell Tony.

The rest of the team was not at all happy about being left in the dark after everything that happened. Tony had argued with Vision at length. However, Steve had finally made the decision that they would just have to earn Peter’s trust and the best way to do that was give Peter time to adjust to those allowed to stay at the manor house.

It was as good as they were going to get, but Wade figured it was the best case scenario. Having Wanda as their go between and food producer, and Vision as their babysitter was already working out spendidly. Wade was happy with just that. However, Thor had recommended they have another shape shifter who could stay in spider form at all times to help teach the kids that refused to shift.

Having someone available that would be fully aware of their minds in shifted form and be able to act as a translator of sorts would be monumentally helpful. Thor had been confident that his helper would also be able to teach the kids that didn’t shift more complicated ideas of human expectations. Such as family, friends, acquaintances, the difference between prey and not prey, how to appear non-threatening, and general safety lessons.

Peter had been apprehensive about bringing someone else in, but also reservedly excited. That was until Thor had brought back a very sullen looking Loki. At the moment, the three were inside the house, looking out at the yard through the glass of the french doors. Loki stood a good distance away, taking in the sight and sounds of the grounds. Had hadn’t moved from the spot Thor had left him.

“Did what happened to his child have something to do with how unstable he is?” Peter asked quietly. Thor likely thought it was Peter trying to understand Loki’s position. Wade knew better. Peter was asking because he was afraid of such a thing happening to him.

“In part,” Thor responded in a sober tone. “Loki has been through many horrors in his life that I have only recently become aware of. He currently has four children, but has not been allowed a life with any of them. At this time, I can only offer him an opportunity with one of his children. The rest are… complicated.”

Peter looked out the windows to the man in question. Loki had his eyes closed, head tipped up to the sky, wind blowing his hair back. He had an aura of bone weary exhaustion about him, and none of the regal and cocky stature Wade remembered of the man.

“What if things go wrong?” Peter asked quietly.

“Vision and Wanda will both be watching him,” Thor assured. “Heimdall will also be keeping careful watch at all times. He will report to me anything amiss and I will come immediately.”

Peter gripped at Wade’s arms where they circled his waist. “Are we sure we should even be taking this risk?”

“Petey,” Wade kept his voice soothing as he nuzzled against Peter’s hair. “We need some way to communicate with and teach the kids that won’t shift. There aren’t many other ideas for that besides forcing them to shift, and we don’t want to do that.”

If Thor thought something amiss about how close the two were, he didn’t show it. He was taking everything in stride, from the kids to their relationship. Wade wasn’t sure if that had something to do with how Thor was raised, or what he had learned from Loki after the sigil. Either way, Wade appreciated the total acceptance.

Peter closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out. “Okay, fine…” Opening his eyes, he looked back at Thor. “But can you check in at first? Like every other day?”

“Or every week,” Wade offered since Thor was a busy man, ruling kingdoms and shit.

“I will be back within the week,” Thor promised.

That wasn’t a satisfactory answer for Peter and his face showed that, but he didn’t argue. Instead, they made their way out the doors and onto the green lawn where Loki stood. He stared at the approaching group with equal parts annoyance and suspicion.

Wade took Peter’s hand for comfort and Peter squeezed it back appreciatively. Peter was extra clingy lately after the others had shown up. Wade had honestly thought it would be the opposite, but Peter had been alone for so long that new people made him apprehensive. He stuck to Wade’s side radiating anxious energy almost constantly now.

Not that Wade was complaining.

“Loki…” Thor waved his hand at the other two. “This is Peter and Wade.”

“We’re old friends!” Wade grinned.

“We are not, nor have we ever been, friends,” Loki deadpanned.

“Anybody that gives me Thor’s powers for a day is my friend.”

“I did not give you his powers, only a mockery of them.”

Wade shrugged. “Eh. Close enough.”

Peter interrupted the banter and cut right to the chase. “Are you going to hurt me, Wade, or my children?”

“I have no reason or desire to do anything but earn your approval. I am desperate to fulfill my end of the bargain. However, if I come to care for the children, as I often do, I will become violent with anyone who would bring them harm — you and yours included. It will be an emotional reaction that I will regret for fear of not seeing my son after the incident happens. I already hate you for making me speak this.”

Loki looked ready to murder something and Peter was blinking in shock. Wade let out a surprised whistle. “That’s some spell you got there.”

“You annoy me every time you speak.” Loki turned his glare to Wade.

“That’s nothing new. Welcome to the masses.”

“Loki will stay in shifted form for the majority of his time here,” Thor cut in to stop any brewing arguments. “This will allow him to stay mostly mute. He will be able to understand speech, so you can give him instruction. Try to avoid phrasing any tasks as a question.”

“I will start with teaching them the fundamentals of more complicated communication. That will take time. Do not demand what is impossible for the children to achieve.”

Peter frowned. “I’m aware of how long it takes to learn a language.”

“Loki will also place an illusion around the dome,” Thor tacked on.

“What kind of illusion?” Peter questioned.

Loki answered. “Anyone looking in will see the manor house and the grounds. The illusion will mimic the weather and changing of the seasons. They will not see any changes made inside the dome, or anyone walking around.”

“Tony will set up devices or Clint will keep watch,” Thor offered. “They will not speak to us of their plans, but it is safe to assume that those will be their actions.”

Peter nodded in agreement, his eyes going distant in a way Wade recognized meant he was thinking about a thousand things at once. Thor clapped his hand on Peter’s shoulder, causing the younger man to jump and refocus on the group.

“It is good to know that you are well, Friend Peter.” Thor gave a genuine smile.

A world of emotion flashed through Peter’s eyes but he said simply, “Thank you.”

“I will be back soon. Call for me if you are in need of me. Heimdall will be watching.”

Thor left, wanting to be a good distance away before he traveled via lightning and Extra™ back to Asgard. Loki closed his eyes and the air around the metal of the dome rippled as he set the illusion in place. He wasted no time after that shifting into spider form.

Peter stared up at the looming arachnid over him, unflinching. The sigil still stood in stark relief above Loki’s many sets of eyes. It looked like shifting wouldn’t hide it.

They watched each other for a long time before Loki walked off, surprisingly quiet for such a large spider. He chittered and a few of the kids poked their heads from their various hiding places in order to investigate the new spider.

Both Peter and Wade watched the interaction for a long time before Wade squeezed Peter’s hand again. “I can make sure there’s always a camera on him, but I’ll understand if you want to watch over this and need me to stay with you. We can stick around as long as you need.”

Peter’s shoulders dropped some as he leaned his body against Wade’s. “Thank you for finding me. Thank you for being here.”

Wade dropped a kiss on the side of Peter’s head. “Anything for you, Baby Boy.”

“I love you,” Peter whispered.

For a moment, Wade stopped breathing. Had he really heard that? Was this real life? When he could finally function again, he choked out in a cracked voice, “I love you, too.”

Despite Peter’s concern over Loki and his kids, Peter took a moment to gently cup Wade’s face with his other hand and drop a soft and tender kiss on those scarred lips. There was so much emotion and trust in Peter’s eyes, that Wade felt almost crushed by it.

Whatever happened from here on out, they were in it together.

 

~*~

 

The rest of the Avengers sat around a table. Their goal was to debrief but it had turned into more of a Tony-rant-session and theories on what was happening. Steve was unusually quiet through the whole thing, lost in his thoughts.

“Steve. _Steve_!”

Steve blinked and looked up to find three pairs of eyes staring at him. Natasha had been the one yelling at him and her eyebrows were raised in exasperation.

“What are you thinking about over there?” she asked.

“I’m thinking about what Vision said about our biases.”

“About how our personal beliefs would affect how we treated him?”

“Yeah…”

“This has nothing to do with his preferences, if that’s what you’re thinking!” Tony cut in. “It’s about him shacking up with that psycho.”

“If that was a concern, then we should have stopped them teaming up a long time ago.” Steve frowned as he thought it over. “But it’s not a concern. Deadpool has proven himself to be a useful asset and he’s changed a lot since spending so much time with Spider-man.”

“Are you saying that somehow magically fixed his insanity?” Tony scoffed.

“No, but I’m sure it’s helped. Spider-man was the first person who had a long lasting and positive influence on Deadpool. Perhaps what he needed was someone patient enough to work with him.”

“Well…” Natasha sighed. “Spider-man is the only person I know of that has stuck around that long. He’s notorious for trying to save his enemies, too.”

“He’s got a big heart. Always has,” Clint added.

“So let’s go with this idiotic theory,” Tony sassed. “Peter decides he’s gay. More than that, he’s gay for Deadpool. So he then decides to run away from everyone he knows _including_ Deadpool for a year. Then Deadpool hunts him down and they live as hermits for another _two_ years. Now, I’m no expert on the homosexual community, but I feel like this might be a _bit_ of an overreaction.”

“I agree that there is something more to this.” Steve sighed. “But attacking his choice in partner isn’t helping us earn his trust. We need to do what we can to show Peter that we don’t want to hurt him, change him, or shame him.”

“I agree,” Natasha said. “If we can earn his trust on a subject he feels we will never budge on, we have a higher chance of earning his trust on other matters in the future.”

“So you just want to wait?” Tony growled. “Just leave him in there doing who knows what-”

“Tony!” Steve leveled a frown on the man. “Vision and Wanda are with him. I trust them. More than that, Peter _did_ look healthier during the second call than the first. He is being taken care of. We have done what we can to ensure his safety and we are now able to keep an eye on him. Any arguments you have at this point for pushing too fast is all based on your own stubborn curiosity.”

Tony sprung from his seat, hands clenched and trembling at his sides, sweeping a glare at each of the others in turn. “So I care for the kid since he was fifteen. I drop the ball a few times and everything goes to shit. I try to fix that. I promise it’ll never happen again. It does. Again and again.

“Now this happens? This half crazed Peter alone in the woods and terrified of everyone? Of course I’m fucking paranoid about what’s going on! He had his mind taken over by Doc Oc at one point, for fuck’s sake! What the fuck did we do about it? Did we even fucking notice? And now all you wanna do is plant rainbow flags outside of his security net and hope for the best?”

He stormed away, but paused and turned back to them, his anger refusing to leave him. “I’m not walking away this time. Peter needs help. I failed in providing that before, I’m not about to do it now with all the evidence shoved in my face like this. I could care less who he’s fucking, _Steve_. I care about his health and safety, both physically and mentally. I’m not letting this go.”

With that, Tony left the rest of the group behind, his mind already racing, trying to come up with another plan. Steve let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in his chair, both hands scrubbing over his face.

“I don’t really know where this puts me,” Clint said awkwardly. “But I agree with both sides.”

“Tony isn’t wrong…” Steve conceded. “It’s just that we can’t assume what Peter is or isn’t going through. I knew plenty of people with PTSD, and sometimes they went to extremes in order to control the flashbacks. We’re all prone to developing those sorts of things. Spider-man is stronger than he often lets on. If he were to lash out at someone during an attack…”

Natasha nodded and started ticking off people on her fingers. “Wade can regenerate from any attack. Vision can just phase through an attack and subdue Peter. Wanda could just hold Peter in midair until it stopped.”

“Why wouldn’t he just tell us if that was the case?” Clint asked.

“Peter has always had a very high sense of responsibility,” Natasha answered. “He’d talk about it with Daredevil all the time. If Spider-man could no longer help, he’d have a hard time coping with that.”

“Irrationally assuming that others are judging him for quitting,” Steve offered.

“Yeah, well, some assholes might,” Clint noted.

“In any case, this is all speculation.” Natasha picked up a Stark pad to start entering in information. “We can keep a list of theories and all of them might have a bit of truth in it, but not be the source of the problem. Still, if we can win him over with each little thing…”

“Then we might have a chance of getting him to trust us,” Steve finished.

“Right, so, who wants to buy the first rainbow flag?” Clint asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four children that you know of, Thor. Loki has busted out a lot of kids! heh Though I’d like to note that at one point in mythology Loki ran away from Asgard and lived as a woman milking cows for years and bore children during that time, all of which are unnamed and unmentioned. Loki was called perverse by the other gods for bearing his own kids.
> 
> You: Wait, wait, wait. If the sigil makes it so Loki can’t lie, wouldn’t his illusionary magic trigger the sigil and make it so Loki can’t use it because the illusion is a lie?  
> Me: o.o … *clutches plot point to chest and runs off*
> 
> I went into the detailed conversation of the Avengers to show what their thought process is about the situation. I don’t want it to come across as a three little piggies tale with the wolf constantly trying to beat down the door in order to attack the pigs. Tony is angry mostly at himself, but his intentions are solid. Steve and the crew aren’t backing off, but trying to go about this in a gentler manner. There was a sense of urgency before, that Steve feels is alleviated what with Vision and Wanda staying with Peter. Tony is still trapped in that “go, go, now, save him, hurry” mindset and it’s severely stressing him out.
> 
> Since Peter is stuck in the “hide, hide, protect, defend, don’t let them get us” mindset, he’s having a hard time thinking about this in broader terms. Hopefully, his new companions will be able to better assist him with this so it doesn’t all blow up in his face. :-D
> 
> Also, yeah, Peter does have a little PTSD, whether he admits that to himself or not.
> 
> Aaaand I felt like it was appropriate to their characters this round for the L-bomb to be dropped suddenly instead of a dedicated scene, since it's the little things that Wade does that Peter is falling for. Also, Peter is a chicken and just wants to slip it in and get past the embarrassing part. lulz


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's check in on Aunt Wanda for a bit and see how she's holding up.

Wanda had… made a lot of promises. Many of which she could keep, mind you. Things such as: make food, keep the occupants of the manor house safe, get supplies, don’t tell anybody what’s happening — especially Tony. Those were all things she was more than capable of doing and had been doing for the past two weeks.

The other promises were the problem. It wasn’t that she  _ wanted _ to break them. She never wanted to break promises. In fact, it was a promise she very much wished she could fulfill. Not just for Peter, but for Vision. Vision, who was happily learning how to handle children without any clue that what he was doing was so far out of the norm…

Wanda swallowed and gripped her coffee mug a little tighter. She had promised not to be afraid — to be accepting and to treat Peter’s children like they were any other kids. Wanda understood why that was important to Peter. However, it seemed like she was the only one in the house willing to address how very  _ not _ like other children they were. They would require different kinds of interaction, education, and discipline.

That last part had been emphasized the first time she had to hold a large thrashing spider mid-air because it tried to attack her. She had been told that they were playing. Well, it didn’t feel a lot like playing from the  _ prey _ end of the arrangement. However, there wasn’t a good way to teach them out of it considering Peter seemed content to encourage such behavior.

Wanda shifted from foot to foot, licking her lips nervously. One nail tapped on the rim of her empty coffee mug. Perhaps if she had coffee in her system, her current predicament wouldn’t be so hard to figure out.

The thing was, that being suspended mid-air had presented a challenge to some, but was horrifying to others. Wanda wanted to only use her powers on the spiders as a way to help safely discipline them — like an enforced time out. She didn’t want to use it to discourage what could possibly be innocent behavior.

Of course, therein lied the problem. What was and wasn’t innocent behavior? It was near impossible to tell. She hadn’t been around them long enough to learn their body language, which was hard enough to read considering how still and silent they tended to be. Some more than others.

In example, Zee, who was currently staring down at Wanda from her perch on the refrigerator. It seemed Zee had a penchant for only shifting halfway and Wanda had yet to see her in any other form. At least, she didn’t think she had. She couldn’t really tell the differences between the kids yet in spider form. She was working on it.

Wanda knew it was Zee because the other kids tended to be a bit more restless. Zee… Well, Zee liked to stare at people and silently follow them. Preferably when the lights were dim in the house, like it was currently in the early morning. Wanda wasn’t sure if Zee was just curious or purposefully being creepy in order to intimidate others. Thus, the question of what her behavior meant.

“Zee, darling… I need in the freezer for the coffee grounds.”

Unsurprisingly, Zee didn’t move and gave no response. Wanda took a deep breath and shifted her weight again, debating what to do. Part of her just wanted to open the freezer door with Zee still on it, make it a silly game or startle Zee into moving. The rest of her was afraid of getting that close.

She felt bad about that fear, but overcoming the instinctive fear of seeing such giant spiders wasn’t easy, especially in the form Zee was currently in. Wanda wanted to believe they were harmless, but she’d watched Li easily snap a plastic spoon in half just by gripping it too hard. If Zee tried to be playful, it could end up dangerous is the blink of an eye. Wanda could protect herself if she was prepared, but she didn’t have the super strength or healing that the others had.

“Zee…”

There was a long pause as Wanda fretted at her lower lip. Quite suddenly, Zee lurched forward a few inches — quick as can be — closer to Wanda. It took everything Wanda had not to scream, but she did end up jerking back and sucking in a quick gasp of air. Fear shot across her chest and settled in her stomach as her heartbeat kicked up a notch. They both froze once more, staring at each other.

Then Zee slowly moved back, further back than she had been originally, the hairs on her body quivered and she pressed herself closer to the door of the fridge.

_ She knows _ , Wanda thought to herself in realization.  _ She knows that I’m scared. _

Immediately, she felt bad. She didn’t want the kids to believe that they were something to be afraid of, no matter how Wanda felt about the subject. She reached out but stopped halfway, hand hovering in mid-air and unsure of what to do next. Before Wanda could think of anything, Zee reacted.

Very slowly, Zee lifted one of her middle legs and held it out in kind. Wanda took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and carefully pushed her arm out just enough so that her fingertips brushed the end of Zee’s leg. The fur was coarse and stiff, and it didn’t seem like it wanted to be ruffled as Wanda’s fingers passed over it.

Zee’s palps were up by her neck. She unfolded them and made movement with them. Wanda knew that the kids had learned a few signs, but she didn’t know what they were. She gave Zee an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what that means.”

It was likely that Zee didn’t know what Wanda was saying either. It occurred to Wanda that this was possibly Zee’s first time trying to communicate with someone so far removed from her life that there was such a significant language barrier. Wanda wondered if it frustrated Zee and what kind of reaction she would have to that emotion.

There was another long pause and then Zee made the sign again, her leg dropped back down to the surface of the fridge and tapped it impatiently. Wanda let her arm drop to her side and shook her head. She still didn’t know what Zee was trying to say, but it was the most the child had interacted since Wanda had first arrived.

“It means inside.”

Wanda jumped at the sudden voice behind her. She turned around to see Wade leaned up against the doorframe leading into the kitchen. He was about as silent at the spiders when he wanted to be. Wanda wondered how long he’d been standing there watching them.

“Usually we use the signs for inside and outside the house, but she signed inside and then tapped the freezer. I think she’s asking if that’s what you want.”

“Oh…” Wanda looked back at Zee in surprise. So Zee had figured out that they couldn’t communicate and Zee was trying to alter what few words she knew to accommodate. That was significant.

“I usually just pick her up and move her.” Wade walked over and did just that. Zee flailed around in his arms until he placed her on another wall. Then he opened the freezer, pulled out the coffee grounds and tossed them to Wanda. “She acts like she hates being picked up, but considering how often she puts herself in the way, I think she secretly likes it.”

Wanda set about making the coffee, wondering how long Wade had been there and how much he had seen. “Will you teach me the signs?”

“Yeah, we’ll need find time for that soon.”

“Mm…”

There was silence as the coffee brewed and Wanda could feel the tension in her shoulders. At length, Wade finally said it. “You’re afraid.”

Wanda took a deep breath in and out before turning to look at him. “They’re strong, Wade. Super strength, healing, super agility — those are all powers the rest of you have, not me. They’re not used to being gentle. I can only use my powers if I am prepared and if my emotions stay stable.”

She expected an argument, but instead Wade just hummed and muttered to himself, tapping a finger against his lips as he contemplated Zee who stayed immobile on the wall where Wade had placed her. When he was struck with an idea, his finger shot into the air before he dove into some cabinets in order to find something.

He pulled out a large case of jarred baby food. He hefted it easily and walked over to Zee and offered it to her. It took a little coaxing but she finally held out a limb and unflexed the claws her halfway form provided her. She easily gripped and held the container. Wade paused long enough for her to get the idea before taking it back and handing it to Wanda.

Wanda jerked forward, stumbling under the weight of it, and had to quickly grab it with another hand. Still, she’s couldn’t pick it back up and just settled on slowly lowering it to the ground, her arms straining and trembling with effort. It landed with a thunk that she hoped didn’t break any of the glass jars.

“How many are in there?!”

Wade shrugged. “Fifty or so? I keep ‘em together like that so they’re easy to move around.”

Yeah, easy for  _ him _ , maybe.

There was a soft chirping noise and they both looked up to see Zee fidgeting and shuffling side to side as he watched Wanda intensely. Wade grinned and told Wanda to try and pick it up again, make a show of it. So Wanda did, straining and tugging at it in order to prove that she was incapable of lifting the thing.

Wade finally bent down and picked it up with a grunt before setting it on the counter. Then he whirled around and scooped Wanda up in his arms. She let out an undignified shriek that he laughed off before setting her on her feet again. Then he made a move that showed he intended to jump into  _ Wanda’s _ arms.

“No, no, no!” Wanda backed up and fought him off each time he tried. She finally had to use her powers to suspend him in the air to get him to stop.

Wade went quiet, seemingly relaxed where he was in midair, and Wanda noticed a few things. Her breathing was accelerated and her eyes were wide. She had made quite the display about fighting Wade off, who was obviously just being playful and not harmful. Not that his intentions changed the fact that Wanda had been worried about her health.

Her eyes cut over to the wall behind Wade. Zee was anxious, her palps fidgeting, and her legs twitching, her body shifting around as she watched the display. Wanda slowly lowered Wade to the ground and Zee quickly ran across the wall, jumped over to a counter, and started chittering at Wade.

A wide grin spread across Wade’s face. “Li made that noise at the other kids when they would ambush me.”

“What?” Wanda blinked, unsure of that he was trying to insinuate.

Wade dropped a hand on Wanda’s arm and Zee immediately smacked it back off. That just caused Wade to laugh and praise Zee, though she didn’t seem to appreciate his affection at that moment. Zee stayed near Wanda until she went back into lab an hour later. The full significance of what had happened came to light later.

Zee would follow Wanda around like Li followed Wade. Whenever Wanda would bring more supplies up for the lab, Zee would push her way in between and move the items herself. It wasn’t like Wanda was straining herself; Peter had a dolly and pallets available. Still, Zee insisted on pushing, pulling, and carrying anything Wanda touched.

Not to mention, Zee would use her half form to its fullest advantage in order to throw the other kids around. Any spider that tried to lay a trap or sneak up on Wanda got the full brunt of Zee’s wrath. She wasn’t gentle on them, either, and Peter often had to take them to the lab to get medical treatment. Still, a few rounds of angry Zee and the others learned their lesson and didn’t bother Wanda again.

Peter was upset about it. Wade was smug over it. Vision found it intriguing. And Zee… Well, Zee was upset if Wanda was out of sight or unreachable. The little man-spider became more and more clingy every time Wanda was locked into the lab or left on an errand.

Wanda supposed it was inevitable, but eventually, Zee crawled into bed with Wanda one day. It had been a little nerve wracking at first, but now it was oddly comforting to feel Zee’s weight pressed up against her hip. She found that nightmares of her past, those that induced such heavy sorrow and loss, were lessened when Zee stayed with Wanda through the night.

This was most definitely not what Wanda had expected to happen when they had first gathered on a jet in order to fly to Brazil to search for Spider-man. Still, the end results didn’t seem so bad…

 

~*~

 

Wade was fretting. He knew he was fretting. But it was hard not to fret when Peter looked so worn down and exhausted. He watched as Peter stood up and brushed grass bits off of his dirt covered naked body.

“Again.”

“Pete…”

Peter held up his hand to cut Wade off. “I’m not quitting until I can do this.”

“You need a break! You’re too tired and stressed out to focus!”

Loki responded, looking pompous as ever. “That is the time when he  _ should _ be practicing. He will not be well rested and calm when he shifts. He must learn to control his other forms in the state he is in currently.”

Wade grumbled but Peter talked over him. “Loki’s right. I’m not quitting.”

Peter rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath at the same time Wade let out a deep sigh. Loki stood directly in front of Peter, waiting. Of course, that was just a projected image of Loki. Behind that human image was the giant spider that Loki actually was. Here and there around the yard were some of the kids, all in spider form, watching as Peter practiced.

A disturbing crunching noise filled the air as Peter grew two more sets of arms, and then fur, and then the bone of his face elongated. Soon he was shifted to man-spider form and opened his multiple sets of eyes to look at Loki. Spider-Loki let out a strange and halted chittering noise that was part of the language he was teaching the kids. A few of the kids around him mimicked it quietly.

“Outside,” Loki said, making the hand signal that Wade and Peter had come up with. Spider-Loki also made the sign with his palps.

Peter attempted to mimic the noise, but struggled with it. He had more control of his mind as man-spider, but learning a new language was always difficult. Loki repeated it again and again until Peter responded correctly three times in a row. Then Loki moved on to the other words that has associated signs. When Peter successfully mimicked all the words, Loki moved on to the test.

That was usually where the problems began.

“Inside,” Loki questioned and there was no follow-up noise from Spider-Loki. Peter had to say it correctly.

Peter tried and failed, but Wade heard one of the kids answer correctly. Spider-Loki addressed the kid — Mei — with a positive response while Human-Loki frowned at Peter and said bluntly, “Wrong.”

Man-Spider-Peter did not like negativity. He screamed (which was a rather creepy noise in itself) at Loki, spittle flying everywhere from his gruesome looking mandibles. Loki didn’t flinch and just seemed to frown harder.

“Reign in your temper and try again. Inside.”

Peter’s arms flailed, his claws flexing with frustration and building anger. Wade stepped a little closer and whispered Peter’s name in a soothing manner. Peter huffed for breath, but he settled down some. After a tense moment, he tried the word again.

“Wrong.”

Once more, Peter screamed, and this time his claws slammed down into the earth, throwing grass and dirt in various directions. When his tantrum finally finished, he glared at the unimpressed Loki and took a threatening step forward.

Before a repeat happened of Peter attacking the illusion of Loki, Mei shuffled forward and chittered the word for inside. Peter stared at her and blinked, so she did it again. After a long pause, Peter once more attempted the word and said it correctly.

Loki gave a curt nod and moved on like what was happening wasn’t significant. “Outside.”

This time Peter was closer to the mark, but messed up at the end. At Loki’s unhappy “wrong” response, Peter again started lashing out at his surroundings and screaming. Mei let out a long string of chittering herself and ran in spastic circles before stopping and looking at her father.

Like she was encouraging him to let out his anger and try again. 

Surprisingly, Peter did try again. This time when he got it wrong, Loki stayed quiet and Mei corrected Peter. He managed it the third time.

“Food,” Loki said next.

Almost all of the kids responded to that one and answered correctly before Peter even had a chance to try. Wade snickered a little. That was their favorite word.

_ Just like their momma! _ Wade thought happily to himself.

They went through a few more rounds before Peter’s frustration was out of control again. A couple of times his anger was so great that Loki had to create an illusion of Wade or one of the kids getting hurt. Peter had immediately collapsed and shifted back to human form as a sobbing mess. Wade hated that Loki had done it, but couldn’t argue at how effective it had been.

Peter had been upset that it happened in front of the kids, and Wade was inclined to agree, but Loki had pointed out that they were learning. The kids were taught a lesson that not controlling their emotional reactions to a situation ended up with others, or themselves, getting hurt. It wasn’t long before the kids were reacting a lot calmer than Peter was during the lessons. Made even clearer by Mei attempting to teach Peter how to control his outbursts.

This time, Wade hoped to avoid the emotional trauma of Loki’s illusions. He jumped in front of Peter and held up his hands placatingly. “Heeey, Petey, shhhh. It’s alright. Calm down. Deep breaths. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Peter slowly stilled and then directly after started shifting. He dropped to his knees as the extra arms shrunk back into his sides. His entire body shook as he gasped for air. Wade dropped to his knees as well and ran soothing hands over Peter’s arms and shoulders. Mei shuffled up and pressed herself against Peter’s side, just sitting there and offering comfort with her weight. A few moments later, the rest of the kids joined.

“You have less control over your raw emotions than toddlers.” Loki crossed his arms as he stared down at Peter.

Wade turned around with a frown and some choice words but Peter beat Wade to it. 

“I’m aware.” Exhaustion laced Peter’s words.

The look on Loki’s face was disapproving, but not angry. More… curious? “You are focused in this form, but you often hide your emotions. How much are you repressing?”

Wade turned around to look at Peter in time to see the fear flash across his face. “I have had things… happen… in the past. Then at one point, I was fighting for control of my own mind from an alien entity that was all pure emotion and selfish desire. I had a hard time overcoming that. My other forms remind me of that.”

“Agent Venom?” Wade questioned.

Peter nodded, an odd look washing over his face. “I don’t understand why Flash is able to control Venom when I couldn’t.”

“We all come with selfish desire,” Loki answered in a gratingly all-knowing tone. “To deny that it applies to you allows it to control you. If base emotions are something you refuse to acknowledge and only repress, then you never learn to control them. Thus, you have no control in a state where they hold more power over you than logic.”

“This is some Yoda shit, right here,” Wade muttered. “Fear is the path to the dark side.”

“Don’t quote episode one at me,” Peter growled as he scrubbed at his face. When he dropped his hands, he looked up at Loki. “Then how do  _ you _ control emotions?”

“I do not control emotions. I give them over to my simplified mind and let them be processed. If they are not relevant to the current situation around me, they are let go. Once in an empty state, my higher mind can assert itself. You are holding onto your emotions as if they are somehow an integral part of who you are.”

“Of course they are!” Peter snapped, flying into a rage in a split second. “Peter doesn’t exist with the disappearance of my parents! Spider-man doesn't exist without the death of my Uncle! What kind of shitty person would I be without that?! I’m worthless without the lesson that pain taught me! I’m just some awkward, random nerd who just wants to hide in his room and contribute nothing and help noone if I don’t have the weight of responsibility riding on me constantly!”

“Peter!” Wade grabbed his boyfriend’s face, quite certain that Peter wasn’t even sure he was crying. “Peter, look at me!”

It took a few seconds, but Peter’s wild eyes finally flicked over to meet Wade’s. Peter was breathing too fast and too hard, the trembling in his body only getting worse. Wade ran his thumbs over Peter’s cheekbones.

“It’s okay to take care of yourself. It’s okay to want things just to make you happy. You can still be a good person without carrying around this wound.” Wade spoke softly but clearly, wanting to make sure Peter  _ heard _ what was being said.

Peter swallowed hard a few times, more tears streaking down his face. He shook his head, Wade’s hands moving with it. “No. I’m not a good person. You just think I am. I’m just going to disappoint you. Ruin this image you have of me. You’ll leave me and I’ll be an even shittier father and it’s all going to fall apart.”

Wade pulled Peter into his arms, trying to calm the oncoming panic attack. The kids around them shuffled around in anxiety, trying to sooth their father as they listened to the sobs that were wracking the man’s body. For a time, Loki just watched in silence.

“I am not ordering you to let go of the experiences that have shaped you,” Loki said at length. “But for the times that you are in a simple mind, you must allow them to fall away. You will not lose yourself.”

“I did before!” Peter choked out. “When I first shifted!”

“That was a choice, whether you accept that or not. You were hiding from yourself. From now on, you must accept the person that you are without the burden of your past.”

“I don’t know who that is…”

“Then you will learn. It will be disconcerting to confront and you may not like the mirror that shifting holds up to your mind. However, you  _ will _ do it. Not for yourself, but for your children.”

Over the next few minutes, Peter’s breathing evened out and his trembling faded. He clutched at Wade and hid his face in the solid bulk of muscle, but the panic attack was mostly overcome. After swallowing and coughing a few times, he finally managed to speak.

“Again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that got real real, real fast! (I like that I just used “real” three times in a row and it was grammatically correct. Muahahaha!)
> 
> I had considered having a moment to talk about Venom, but it kinda took off in its own direction and did a complete psycho-analysis on Peter. :-D Whoo-wee! That happened. I hope you enjoyed the ride.
> 
> I know there’s a lot of fan theories that if Uncle Ben hadn’t died the way he did, Spidey would have ended up a bad guy. I don’t necessarily believe that. But I _do_ believe that _Peter_ believes that. This belief of Peter’s is exemplified by the Venom issue. Flash, Peter’s high school bully turned mature war vet, is capable of controlling Venom in ways that Peter never could. A lot of that had to do with how Venom kept telling Peter that they wanted the same thing and to just give in. 
> 
> It wasn’t that Venom was looking into Peter’s soul or something, it was that Venom could feel Peter’s desires. Selfish desires are normal, but the only time Peter ever really gave into one, someone died. That’s pretty traumatic and left Peter believing that any selfish desire equated to being evil. He believed that Venom proved his point. But really, Venom was just all urges and fed off the strong urges of its host. Peter’s strongest urges were the ones he never processed or dealt with. Not that Peter will admit that to himself…
> 
> As I’m sure you’ve realized at this point, I really love the Venom storyline. lol
> 
> Also, I was extremely excited to have Zee get attached to Wanda. I definitely wanted Wanda to showcase how good intentions didn’t necessarily overcome the practical fear of living with a bunch of giant super spiders. Especially for humans. As innocent as the kids are, they are still unintentionally dangerous. Which is important to keep in mind. heh


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you not following my Tumblr, I got dragged to a family vacation for a week, then got horrifically sick during the car ride, and was barely able to recover when I got home. Took a few days for my stomach to want to eat things again. Writing this update has been a struggle. lol
> 
> Hopefully, I have overcome this slow writing process and we can move forward at a steady pace once more. ^.^' If anything in this chapter seems off, blame it on me being sick. I just wanted to get something out there for you guys after such a long wait. @.@

Li squealed and leveled a look of pure disgust on her fingers. She tried to shake her hand off, but Peter held firm to her wrist and moved the paint covered hand across the paper in front of her. Li did not at all seem to care about the magic of finger painting. Her main focus was getting the stuff off her fingers and moving as far away from the paint as possible.

Peter was cursing fluently under his breath as he tried to keep her still and not let her fling paint everywhere. Wade was aware that he was being unhelpful in the situation. In his defense, he was laughing too hard to move.

The very unhappy reaction from Li solidified the suspicions the other kids had of the goopy colored stuff on the table and they immediately moved away from it. Finger painting was officially a bust. They wouldn’t even approach long enough to see how paint brushes worked when Peter pulled them out.

In a huff, Peter got Li cleaned up as Wade cleared away the paint. He pulled out fresh paper and giant crayons that were good for grabbing full handed. Peter frowned at them as he wrestled Li back to the table. She didn’t appreciate being the test subject of such dubious activities.

“They’re gonna break the crayons,” Peter complained as he sat down and forced Li to stay in his lap.

Wade shrugged. “Then we melt them back together. They need ta learn to take it easy on things anyways.”

This time, Wade made a big show of picking out which color he wanted to use and then bent over a piece of paper to start scribbling away. It wasn’t long before multiple kids were leaning in to see what he was doing. At that point, he happily showed off his scribbling art skills.

Even Li was entranced, straining her neck to see what Wade was doing. So Peter picked up a crayon as well and pulled over a piece of paper. He wasn’t really an artist, so he just started drawing schematics of some of his old projects. Li found the process fascinating.

“Ah!” She stuck out a hand insistently towards Peter’s crayon. He helped her learn how to grip it. She snapped it in half and pouted so he showed her again how to grip it lightly and carefully, demonstrating the pressure on her hand and then the crayon. She managed not to break the second one.

In no time, Li was a scribbling fiend, coloring hard enough to rip through the paper as she left bold lines from one side of the paper and back. Soon the other kids shuffled up to the table and started poking at the large crayons. Peter helped to set up the paper and demonstrated how lightly to hold the crayon for each kid.

They went though a good forty broken crayons, some of those broken even further as they tried to use the shorter pieces. Despite that, Wade kept pulling out more like he had a magical Mary Poppins bag of giant crayons. Peter had learned long ago not to ask how Wade managed those things. Peter rarely got a straight answer.

There were nineteen kids in total that joined in on the coloring throughout the course of a few hours. Some were in and out, a few got bored of it easily, and many of them shifted to human form in order to better understand the nuances of holding a crayon. Peter focused his attention more on those that shifted in order to encourage them to take up more human play activities.

This set up a trend as they walked the kids through different activities each day for a few hours. Playing with blocks, giant leggos, and large puzzles to help with motor movement and shape association on many of the days. Coloring became fairly commonplace as well, and a few of the kids upgraded to drawing specific shapes when prompted. They were oblong and misshapen, but shapes nonetheless. Wade hung a few on the fridge.

The day they tried puppets was rather hit or miss. A few of the kids didn’t seem to understand where their hand had disappeared to and did not take kindly to the missing appendage. Made all the worse by the kids who caught on immediately and chased the others around the room with flailing hand puppets. That day had been pure chaos.

When Peter found out Wade was playing music for the kids, he was immediately suspicious. He was right to have such suspicions. Wade would sneak off with a child or three and introduce them to some horrible and confusing collection of top 100 hits. Peter threatened to take Wade’s phone again and Wade pouted over the course of the next few days.

In the meantime, Peter set up a room for the purpose to play music 24/7. He set up a nice collection of classical music on it and then ended up in a two hour long debate with Wade about adding in “not boring” music to the playlist.

“Classical music is stimulating for the mind,” Peter snapped.

“That’s psychobabble bullshit! Besides, Sir Mix-a-Lot is stimulating for the-”

“Don’t finish that sentence!”

“-buns, hun!”

In the end, just because Peter was tired of arguing, he added a few classic songs with upbeat rhythms and decent lyrics. Then he tasked Vision with keeping an eye on the music room to make sure Wade didn’t tamper with anything. Despite Wade’s grumbling, a few of the kids seemed to enjoy sitting in the room during the softer classical songs.

Outside of activities, the rest of Peter’s days were filled with feeding, cleaning, and teaching the kids. He worked obsessively with language and motor skills for those that shifted. The more he did, the more kids were willing to shift and for longer amounts of time. It made him happy to see them interacting at times like any other two year olds would.

Peter also had his own personal lessons where he practiced shifting and the language Loki was building. It was slow and painstaking progress, but he was getting a better grasp on the words and controlling himself while shifted. He usually had a troop of kids surrounding him and for whatever reason, they had begun shifting with him during those times.

About a month in, Loki started to look angry about that, though Peter couldn’t fathom why. Eventually, the pressure of Loki’s seething gaze became too much for Peter’s frazzled nerves and he did the one thing he absolutely was not supposed to do.

“What?” Peter growled after shifting back to human form. He was on his knees, covered in dirt and sweat, and naked in front of the glowering Loki. It felt humiliating and his anger couldn’t abide by it.

Still, the second the word fell from his lips, he regretted it. Loki flinched visibly and Peter’s head snapped up, eyes wide with panic. He opened his mouth to say something — anything — to reverse what he’d done, but Loki was already talking.

“You can not stop what you started and that is only the beginning of my anger.” Loki’s voice was dark and dangerous, his teeth grinding together as he stared down at Peter who only felt smaller given their current positions. “You have no idea why they are shifting with you and you are barely aware of those that are avoiding you!”

“I… don’t…” It was so hard not to ask more questions and Peter fumbled with his words.

“They are desperately seeking more time and attention from you!”

Peter huffed in annoyance. “I’m only one person! I’m doing all that I can!”

“You are not! You are  _ doting _ on those in human form. You are  _ ignoring _ those who refuse to shift. You do not interact or praise those that prefer a form outside of the one you are comfortable with!”

“That’s not true! I’m just trying to encourage them to shift. They are  _ safer _ if they shift.”

“If they do not understand the nuances of your actions, they will come to their own conclusions. Do not be dense! Stop blinding yourself and look at how they are perceiving your actions!”

What the kids thought Peter’s actions meant? That hadn’t occurred to him. They had a simpler mindset and they couldn’t effectively communicate. Most of his actions were likely confusing to them, but some…

His tendency to encourage shifting could be seen as preferential treatment. He shifted forms, but only when upset, scared, or angry. His shifting lessons only made that more obvious. The kids would see Peter as hating his spider form and thus only wanting interact with the human forms of those that shifted.

But what about the ones that didn’t shift? Peter had promised that he wouldn’t pressure them to do it if that’s not what they wanted. Yet he was doing exactly that.

At the same time, how could he encourage them to shift if he gave them no incentives to do so? They weren’t old enough to reason with yet.

Peter gripped at the grass under his hands, desperately trying to get his emotions under control. Tears of frustration pressed at the back of his eyes and he felt hot all over. It felt like there was too much piled on top of him. He couldn’t do this. He didn’t even know what the right thing was to do.

Mei toddled over to him, still in human form from their mutual shifting. She leaned against him and he pulled her into his arms, pressing his face into her mess of tight wound curls. She babbled at him in random noises and patted his arms. Peter felt like a failure, having to let his two year old daughter be his emotional support.

Somewhere above Peter, Loki let out a long sigh. “You are doing better at maintaining the safety of your children than I have in the past. Not letting your animal form sweep away all concerns has been helpful for you to an extent. However, everything should be in moderation.”

Peter swallowed hard and tried to get his breathing back under control. He lifted his head up, but wasn’t prepared to look up at Loki currently. “I’m afraid of losing them.”

“You should be.”

Though he understood why Loki said it, Peter still flinched at the words. “I’m doing what I can.”

“No. You are letting fear blind you from further options.”

“I don’t have all the answers!” Peter growled, trying to keep his voice under control so he didn’t yell so close to Mei.

“Parenting is not a perfect art. What you  _ can _ do is spend more time in their world.”

“You mean as a spider…”

“A few shifting lessons and a few words isn’t helping you any. Don’t continue on a path that does not work.”

Peter took a deep breath, thinking it over. “What if I lose myself?”

“You are not alone this time. I can assist you, and human tasks will run smoothly despite your absence.”

“What about… Wade would be by himself…” Even if Wade thought it was a good idea, he’d still pout that Peter was doing something to cause even less alone time for them. Peter felt calmer around Wade, more in control and less afraid. The thought of time apart wasn’t one he really relished.

“There is nothing stopping you from spending time with your lover simply because you are in a different form. Even in a simplified state, you see him as your mate.”

“I attacked him before.”

“Not recently. I have borne witness to that. You have not shown aggression to him since I arrived.”

Had he not? Peter hadn’t really noticed. He was always so focused on what happened previously…

“Ah!” Mei patted Peter awkwardly on the face, putting a little too much force behind it. He winced and tilted his head to the side to help her understand that she needed to curb the strength she was using. Mei immediately dropped her hand and started babbling again. Peter dropped a kiss on top of her head.

“Your children interact with you despite what form you take.” Loki waved a hand at the two of them. “This is not unusual for them. It is all they know. What would be unusual is if your lover, who calls himself their mother, was unable to interact with you despite the form you’ve taken.”

“Oh…” Peter hadn’t really thought of it like that. He looked up at Loki. “I thought you’d be… meaner about this. I thought you hated me. All of us.”

Loki released a long breath and he suddenly looked bone tired like he had the first day he arrived. “Hate requires more energy than I currently have left in me.”

Peter looked back down at Mei, his fingers gently running through her mass of curls. She seemed to find the movement both pleasant and surprising. “I’m sorry about what happened to your children. Part of the reason I want to get control of things so quickly is so Thor can make good on his promise to you.”

There was a long silence that stretched between them and Peter was afraid to even look up at Loki to gauge the man’s reaction. It was hard to tell if offering sympathy was or wasn’t what Loki wanted, or if the answer shifted erratically with Loki’s moods. That was something Peter could relate to.

“I have waited many years to be with my son, and have wasted far more trying to forget him.” Loki’s voice was soft, but controlled. Peter kept his eyes on Mei, who was still trying to figure out why she liked fingers in her hair as a human, but not as a spider. “If we need a few years to make sure your children have a proper understanding of expectations and ability to control their own strength, then so be it. That time is insignificant to me.”

“That doesn’t make it any easier to be apart,” Peter all but whispered.

“It does not. I feel that loss like a thousand knives every day. However, for Sleipnir’s safety, I would rather focus on making sure this tiny world you have created for yourself is sustainable prior to bringing him here.”

“That makes sense.” And it did. Peter would likely feel the same way in Loki’s shoes. Especially considering the man’s immortality.

Peter took a deep breath and stood up, carrying Mei with him and setting her on his hip. She seemed unsure about the movement, but no less excited to be sitting up higher than her usual perspective. Seeing the world from a taller point of view was exciting to toddlers across the board, it seemed.

“I’m going to go speak to Wade about everything. I want to spend at least a few days shifted, if I can.”

Loki just nodded in response as the other kids surrounding them shuffled around, wondering at what Peter planned to do next.

“And… it won’t be a problem. I’ll be okay.” Peter wanted to make it a question but forced himself not to. Loki answered anyways.

“I cannot lie to you. I have every intention of seeing you succeed. I will protect you and those around you.”

Peter looked at Loki for a long time, maintaining eye contact before saying quietly, “Thank you.”

Loki didn’t respond, but Peter didn’t really stick around, either. He immediately made his way inside to look for Wade. Peter didn’t want Loki to feel obligated  _ to _ respond, since the expression of gratitude was more for Peter’s own sake. Also, it was awkward as all hell. Peter wasn’t sure what he thought of Loki at this point.

In fact, knowing what he did about Loki and Loki’s past left Peter wondering about the nature of all villains. He hadn’t killed as a hero because it was his own moral code, not because he believed bad guys capable of redemption. He had once hated Wade because Deadpool murdered people, not because of the lives that were lost.

Peter wrapped his arms a little tighter around Mei.

On the upside, being in spider form for so long would stop Peter’s mind from obsessing over so much philosophical debate. Tilting his world view wasn’t really something he wanted to deal with at the moment. He had more important things on his mind.

 

~*~

 

Tony was at a party. Another party filled with suits and overpriced dresses and sparkling jewelry the price of a new car. Champagne floated by on trays and he almost reached for one before realizing one already sat in his hand. He frowned and paced around the room.

He hated parties.

Wandering near the outskirts of the crowd he glanced over and saw the back of someone quickly walking out of sight. Tony froze in shock. That had been Peter, Tony was certain of it.

He took off in that direction, chasing down the figure who was speed walking out of sight. When he took a corner, everything was dark and silent, the music of the party muffled and forgotten. The hallway looked oddly large despite the deep reds that decorated the walls and carpet.

Peter was already halfway down the empty hall, most of him lost in shadow. Tony jogged after him, calling his name. The figure stumbled to a stop and turned, giving Tony a confused and frustrated look.

“What are you doing here?”

Tony finally caught up, one hand shooting out to grab Peter’s arm. “Where have you been?”

Suddenly, Peter looked scared and lost, his hands came up to grip at Tony’s suit jacket. “I can’t be here.”

“Why?”

Red.

Red dripping down Peter’s chest as his eyes blew wide in painful realization. He dropped to his knees and Tony was yelling, but couldn’t hear his own voice.

Peter was on the floor, blood spilling into deep red carpeting. Tony was on his knees, hovering over Peter, unable to do anything. Someone was standing over them. Tony looked up to see Deadpool, arm out, gun pointed at Tony’s head.

Deadpool’s suit melted into the red and shadows of the hallway. He looked half camouflaged and Tony couldn’t get his eyes to make sense of it. The only thing that stood out was the bright white eyes of Deadpool’s mask.

“Just returning the favor, Stark!” Deadpool said gleefully and his finger tensed on the trigger in a loud creaking of leather.

Tony sat bolt upright in bed, gasping for breath, sweat soaking his shirt. His heartrate was too fast and his breathing too quick and shallow. The edges of his vision were greyed. Panic attacks had become a normal factor in his life and he was fully aware of what was happening.

Unfortunately, the night terrors were also common.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath he tucked his head down onto his bent knees and tried to focus on the present. The chill of the room, the soft whisper of the central air, the feel of the sheets on his skin. He swallowed hard, trying to force out the thoughts that kept popping into existence.

Dead. They were always dead. In his fear induced images and dreams, Tony saw nothing but death. There were few people he cared about and yet somehow they all ended up in life threatening situations. Not all of them made it out alive. Starting with his parents and progressing from there.

Logically, Tony knew Deadpool wasn’t a threat. He didn’t like it, but the reports of Deadpool’s behavior towards Peter, as limited as it was from Wanda, showed how smitten the mercenary was. Tony was convinced that Wanda was purposefully only feeding Tony the good things, but that didn’t change how many good things there were.

Tony hated it.

It was irrational. He knew that. FRIDAY had said as much when Tony had ranted about it in his shop the week prior. Part of Tony had wanted to reprogram her so she couldn’t sass him about it, but at the same time he’d trained her to do that for a reason. When he was irrational, he made dumb decisions.

With a grumble, Tony flopped back down onto the bed and stared at the ceiling as if he could divine the meaning of life from it.

Clint was on location, keeping an eye on things and reporting what he could. There wasn’t much to report, however. Nothing inside the dome ever changed. They apparently rarely left the manor house at all. It was just a bunch of green grass and curtained windows. It was frustrating them both.

Wanda had turned into the Fort Knox of information. If Tony tried to get anything out of her at all, she would wax poetic about how well Deadpool was treating Peter. All Tony could glean from the conversations was that Peter was having some form of anxiety. PTSD was Steve’s guess and it only seemed to solidify the idea.

Tony knew there was more to it, he just couldn’t figure out what. That drove him mad on a base level. A puzzle that he couldn’t solve, an equation that wouldn’t work out into an answer, those were things that would haunt him until finished. Add to that Tony’s (admittedly terrible) parental urges, and he was quickly going insane.

There might be something to Steve’s idea of winning over Peter’s trust, but at the same time it grated on Tony. Hadn’t he been there for Peter in the past? Hadn’t Tony proved himself worthy of trust? Was Tony not someone people wanted to go to for help of any kind?

It hurt. That was the worst part of it. It hurt to feel so utterly and thoroughly rejected.

There had to be something more happening.

If there wasn’t… What exactly did that say about Tony?

 

~*~

 

Clint grunted as he hoisted the flag pole into place and secured it so he could fill in the rest of the cement. It would take a little while to settle, but he had nothing but time. Literally nothing was happening inside the dome. To add to that, Clint had paced outside the perimeter and yelled a bunch, but nobody had come to greet him.

It pissed him off a little. He didn’t appreciate being ignored.

So in response to that, he decided to lure them out. The best way to make that happen was to do something they couldn’t ignore. So Clint had spent the last few hours constructing a rather impressive flag pole. He hadn’t half-assed it either. It was going to be cemented into the ground and the flagpole itself was heavy grade and steel. This thing could easily survive a tornado.

On the upside, the effort and length of time it was taking really helped get Clint’s mind off of his boredom. Sitting in a tree and staring at the same unchanging landscape day after day was driving him up a wall. Surely there were other missions he could be focusing on.

Clint understood why he was here. All of Stark’s tech kept getting destroyed or tampered with. Deadpool was relentless about it and seemed to take great joy in doing so. It wasn’t like there was anything to record, so tampering with the equipment seemed to be personal for Deadpool. Thus, Clint was on a stealth mission to gather information.

Or, he was, up until he started to build a flag pole right outside of the dome.

When the cement was set and the flag positioned at long last, Clint started hoisting up the flag with no small amount of glee. This was simultaneously the best and worst thing he’d ever done.

“Clint?”

The flag was only halfway up when he heard the voice behind him. He jumped and turned around to see a very confused Peter standing just inside the honeycomb bars of the dome.

“Ah! You finally came out to see me.”

“What… are you doing?” Peter stared in mild disbelief at the large rainbow flag already billowing out and snapping in the breeze.

“I’m glad you asked!” Clint leaned up against the pole and crossed his arms. “Ya see, Steve thought that you didn’t trust us because we’re unaccepting assholes. I recommended a show of support.”

“I feel like Steve didn’t approve this…”

“He didn’t exactly tell me not to, though.”

Peter blinked at the flag for a time more before turning to look at Clint. “And why exactly did you decide to do this?”

“I figured it would get your attention. And look! It worked!” Clint pushed away from the flagpole in favor of putting his hands on his hips to square off with Peter. “Look, everyone’s worried.”

“I know. That’s why you broke in previously.” Peter didn’t look at all happy about that still.

“Would you have done something different?”

Peter just cut his eyes to the side and didn’t respond.

“I’d love to be all ‘Sure, you’re a grown ass man. Do what you want!’ but I can’t. You’re a CEO of your own company and a hero obsessed with taking care of things in New York and a friend to a lot of people who you still have yet to contact to let them know you’re alive. That’s not what people do, Peter.”

“There are circumstances…”

“I get that, but is that an answer you’d accept for me? Don’t say yes. I’d be mad if you’d just leave me alone like that.”

Peter sighed. “I can’t do this, Clint.”

“That’s fine. You don’t have to. Not with me. But somebody like Steve? He fuckin’ went to a pride march last week in full Captain America gear and made some grand speech on acceptance. The news outlets are having a field day.”

Peter turned wide eyes to Clint and gaped for a while before exploding with a, “He did what?!”

“He’s also been talking with a psychology professor on a regular basis about PTSD and how to appropriately talk to those that suffer with it. Steve is making shots in the dark as to what’s going on, but he’s still making sure he’s prepared to deal with it.”

“I don’t…” Peter’s mind was obviously going a mile a minute, trying and failing to think of what to say next.

“And Tony has doubled the amount of panic attacks he’s had since you disappeared. He’s been a complete pain in the ass. Finding you was supposed to relieve that, but it hasn’t. For obvious reasons. He’s a little too angry and focused, but that’s not entirely his fault. He was grieving before and now he’s in a state of limbo, unable to let it go. He has no closure and no reassurance.”

Peter looked guilty and angry all at the same time. “I can’t be responsible for the world anymore! I have things that are important! Things that I can’t just walk away from!”

Clint held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not telling you what to do, Parker. I’m just letting you know. Is there a better way to handle it, or are these consequences worth what you’re dealing with right now?”

There was a long silence as Peter thought about that. The emotions on his face were hard to read and Clint didn’t even try. That wasn’t why he was here. He just wanted to let Peter realize the extent of what was happening back out in the rest of the world.

“I’m not calling you to arms. I’m not telling you to come save the day or fight for the freedom of the planet. We got that shit. It’s handled. All I’m saying is that you have people out here ready to support you if you’d let them.”

“I…” It was obvious Peter wanted to disagree, but something Clint had said stopped the words from being formed. He tried to capitalize on that.

“Steve is willing to do whatever it takes to support you, no matter what. I can say that for a fact. You’ve already let others in, why not him? He could help. He could find a better way to deal with whatever is happening. And yeah, maybe he can’t, but having him assess things and say there’s nothing else to be done will go a long way in letting others know you’re okay.”

“I… can’t… let others in,” Peter whispered, looking at the ground, shoulders tense.

“Then start with a letter.”

Peter looked up at that, thrown by the sudden suggestion.

“Write a letter to the people who miss you. Let them see it’s from you. Make it personal. Tell them you’re okay. I’ll deliver it myself and burn it after if you want me to so the evidence is gone. Is that a bad idea?”

“No…” Peter took a deep breath and thought it over. “Give me a week. I’ll hand them to you right here.”

Clint smiled. “Thanks. For listening to me.”

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of Peter’s mouth. He looked up at the flag still flapping around in the steady breeze. “Is that still necessary?”

A shit eating grin spread across Clint’s face. “Of course it is. Tell me Deadpool isn’t excited about it.”

The world’s greatest long suffering look flashed across Peter’s face. “You win this round.”

Clint laughed and turned back to finish hoisting the flag to the very top. When he turned back Peter was nowhere in sight, though that was to be expected, since it was all an illusion.

For quite some time, Clint had suspected that the unnatural stillness inside the dome was fake. When Peter stood in the grass with his too-long bangs watching the billowing flag and never once had to brush that hair from his eyes, it had confirmed Clint’s suspicions.

Still, illusion or no, that had been Peter talking. He wasn’t comfortable enough to get close, not yet, but the conversation went a long way in changing how this whole problem was being handled. It also gave Clint  _ some _ kind of intel he could report back with.

He looked up at the flag with a grin. Today was a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to include a lot of requests in this chapter including activities for the kids, Loki getting mad about Peter's preferential treatment of human form, and Loki + Peter bonding. I also wanted to touch on ideas I had of Tony struggling with himself over the situation and Steve's go-get-'em attitude when it came to winning Peter over. Tony's dream sequence is loosely based on a dream I had recently. (Thanks sleep brain for making hallways creepy!)
> 
> Also, Deadpool was totally inside the house like "Clint! You mah bro, man!" over that flag.
> 
> I had an idea of how the image thing happened, with Loki kinda making a mirror like thing that showed Peter to Clint and showed the area around Clint to Peter while Peter stayed safely inside the house. I didn't manage to fit that scene in. Oh well.
> 
> I will try to bust out another update soon! I also have an idea I'm working on for the next chapter of We Don't Do Normal so yaaaay! New plot points soon! Woo!
> 
> Also, this story broke 600 kudos and it's not even finished and I'm like ???????? and !!!!!!!!! and also the pressure of putting out quality updates is strong now. XD But I love you guys! <3 <3 <3 Thank you so much for your support of this crazy story!!!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK!!! WOOOO!
> 
> Okay, so this chapter is extra long to make up for the wait. Also, I was completely lacking in inspiration to write on this so I was like "Welp! Let's advance the plot!" So I did. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> My dear Pyroperception wrote a gift fic for me that is, I suppose, a crack chapter 15.5? You should all check it out. It's adorable and hilarious.  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/11786091

“Onward my valiant steed!” Wade cried, though the sedate pace they were traveling didn’t change. That didn’t stop him from striking a pose. That was kinda his thing.

Still, it was fun, being up so high and spending quality time with the kids and Peter. Wade always found it interesting that no matter how big the spider forms grew, they were still all but silent while walking. Riding atop Peter’s giant spider self proved for a rather smooth ride. Wade had ridden horseback before, and it was nothing in comparison. He could have a picnic if he wanted and not spill a thing.

The mental image of having a picnic with Li while perched on Peter’s giant hairy back sent Wade into a fit of giggles. He would have to share that with Peter later.

Over the past several months, Peter had gotten much better at maintaining control in his shifted forms. However, that required Peter to think in a much more simplified manner. Complex thoughts and communication were building up slowly, but he would likely always be somewhat removed from who he was in human form.

They had discussed at length what that meant for the kids. Those that didn’t shift would likely stay in such a state. They would be intelligent, sure, but their emotional development would hit a wall, and their ability towards complex ideas would be stunted. It was difficult to determine how far they would develop if they never shifted, and how that would affect them overall.

On the upside, the spider minds were capable of structured learning and having a much broader spectrum of ideas on how the world worked. In example, spiders didn’t have family units or mates, but that wasn’t the case with the Parker family or with Wade. Even in spider form, Peter would show affection to his loved ones.

“Has anyone told you what a lovely shade of brown you are?” Wade cooed at Peter. Perhaps flirting with Peter at such a time would seem odd to others, but their busy schedule meant they rarely had time to themselves. Wade was in serious need of getting laid.

“You know, I’m totally down for some interspecies experimentation if you are.” It wasn’t like Wade hadn’t done things of that sort before, after all.

Peter came to an abrupt halt, and Wade wondered if Peter was shocked, contemplating it, or angry. A beat later, Wade noticed Wanda entering the compound with supplies and Zee making a beeline for the woman to help carry things.

“Ah!” Wade nodded knowingly. “Mail time!”

Peter had been writing letters to the others. Short and infrequent though they were, they seemed to be helping everyone outside the metal egg calm down. It also seemed to be helping Peter. He had finally admitted one night that he was afraid that everyone hated him for running away and keeping them out of his life. Having regular correspondence was much more reassuring than the usual “please trust me and let me in” speech he usually got.

Wade spread out on his stomach and propped his head on one hand as he watched Wanda shower Zee in affection. “Hey, you thinking about letting anyone else in?”

There was an odd clipped chitter in response. Wade attended all of Peter’s language sessions and even though he couldn’t speak spider-tongue, he could understand it now. Peter had given a simple “no” for his reply.

“It doesn’t have to be one of the Brady Bunch. There are other mutants and activists we could feel out. I say this because you and I both know what it’s like to be isolated from the world. They could use more social interaction.”

 _I understand_ , Peter chittered.

Due to limited vocabulary, they couldn’t have an in depth discussion about it, and Peter couldn’t fully express his thoughts on the matter. Still, “I understand” was far more of a concession than human-time Peter would ever give. Spider-Peter tended to be much more rational about things.

“They get attached to people. They like feeling special to someone in particular and forming that bond with them. It’s why Li follows me around and Zee follows Wanda. It’s why Mei acts like Loki’s apprentice. I know you’ve noticed it.”

 _Yes_. Peter started walking again, moving back toward the house, a passel of spider-kids scurrying around between his legs as he went.

“I’m not saying we need a person for each kid, but five weird ass adults probably ain’t the best of influences in the long run.”

 _Maybe_.

Wade kicked his legs in the air as he thought it over. “You understand why it’s safer for them to learn normal human interaction, right?”

 _Yes_.

“I don’t want them in danger any more than you do. I want to minimize risk as much as possible, but there’s a risk in every direction now. We gotta pick the best course and set up all the fail safes we can along the way.”

 _Mate_. That was a new word Peter had recently learned. Loki had pointed out that Peter treated Wade as a mate, and that was unusual for spiders, so Loki felt it best to choose a word for it so the kids would better understand the significance of it. It always made Wade’s heart flutter a little to hear it.

“You flirt!” Wade blushed and simpered, but he understood why Peter had said it.

It was Peter’s simplistic way of praising Wade for being a good parent and a good partner by thinking about and expressing his concerns, regardless of circumstance. Just because Peter was a giant spider, didn’t mean Wade talked down to Peter, and Peter obviously appreciated that. Wade also didn’t hold back in the face of Peter’s human anxiety and did what was necessary if pushed. Even through a language barrier, Peter found a way to take a moment to acknowledge Wade’s devotion to their family.

Wade never acted all that serious, but he was devoted to those he cared about. That was why Peter claimed Wade as his mate no matter the mindset. It made Wade feel all soft and gooey inside. “I love you, too.”

The boxes — quieter these days, though no less obnoxious — went on about how disgustingly sappy Wade and Peter were. Wade told them to shove it. He liked his sweet tooth.

Wanda waved when she got close enough to them. She had an amused smirk on her face as she looked up at the both of them. “You’ll never believe what Steve is finally doing.”

“Bottoming?” Wade asked in excitement.

Wanda sighed. “I should have known better than to ask… And, no. He was cornered by Natasha that perhaps just being _not straight_ and having PTSD weren’t Peter’s only problems. She pulled up the old pictures of when Man-Spider first happened.”

“Oh…” Wade’s eyebrows shot up. Captain America hadn’t adjusted well to waking up in a world full of mutants and the turmoil that brought with it. Steve made it known to those who asked that he found mutants to be dangerous and unpredictable, putting too much power into fickle civilian hands. “What’d he say?”

“That’s the thing. He started going to meetings and rallies for mutant activists and peacemakers. He’s getting involved.”

“My stars and garters! I never thought I’d see the day!”

“You or me both,” Wanda admitted.

“I wonder how much is really getting through his star spangled head, though. He’s rather stubborn about his opinions.”

“I suppose that’s to be determined.”

Peter started shifting and Wade slid down to the ground with a, “Whee!” A few of the kids followed suit, as they tended to prefer mimicking Peter. The shifting slowed down as Peter became more human like, and stopped with him still having 6 arms, but all of them human shaped. Wade had taken to carrying around a cloth with him at all times so he could tie it around Peter’s waist when needed.

“Thanks.” Peter smiled.

“No problem, Baby Boy!” Wade grinned.

Wade handed Peter the mail and he took the letter with one of his lower arms. She raised a brow at it, but didn’t comment. Wade slid into Peter’s side, enjoying the feel of multiple arms wrapping around his torso. It was a low bad, mid back, and shoulder hug all at once. Wade was _so_ happy.

“You should try to get Steve to talk about his sudden activism in your next letter. Feel out how well he’s doing,” Wanda suggested.

“I will,” Peter agreed.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Wade said. “But are you having trouble shifting?”

Peter gave Wade a look that he rarely saw outside the bedroom. “I can maintain this form, you know.”

Wade gasped like a kid on Christmas morning that had been at the top of the Nice list. “Petey!” he breathed. “That’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Aaand that’s my cue to leave,” Wanda said before walking off, a helpful Li following close behind and carrying the supplies.

 

~*~

 

((Okay, guys, real talk. If you are _at all_ bothered by the image of Peter with 6 arms, then I suggest skipping the sex scene and dropping down to the next ~*~ chapter break because shit’s about to get real up in here. You have been warned.))

 

There were two hands wrapped firmly around Wade’s thighs, just above the knees, holding them spread. There were two hands holding him firmly by the hips, keeping them in just the right place with enough strength that he couldn’t move them. There were two hands on his biceps, pinning him to the bed.

Wade was able to kick his shins, arch his upper back, throw his head around, and scratch at the sheets with his fingers. That was all the movement he could manage and it did nothing to control the situation.

The situation being that he wasn’t able to decide on what speed or angle he was being fucked. Nor could he stop, or jerk away from, Peter’s mouth descending to bite and lick its way across Wade’s skin. Peter was far too strong, and with two extra sets of arms, Wade was helpless.

It was fucking _bliss_.

“ _Fuck_ , Petey! Right there! There!”

Peter pushed a little harder, his hips tilting at just the right angle. “Here?”

“YES!”

There was a laugh and then suddenly Peter was going a lot slower, his hips missing that spot Wade so desperately wanted. Wade whined and thrashed as much as he could. His cock bobbed and leaked against his stomach, thus far untouched by either of them.

“ _Please_ ,” Wade whined.

“Not yet,” Peter breathed, grazing his teeth up Wade’s neck. “You were right. We barely get alone time together. I want this to last.”

“But I can keep goiiing!”

“I know, but I can’t, and fair’s fair.” There was a full-of-himself smirk in Peter’s voice and Wade wanted to complain, but he really couldn’t bring himself to do so. If Peter wanted to draw it out and fuck for hours, who was Wade to deny the opportunity?

Peter slowly picked his speed back up, and then even slower still, tilted his hips. He pressed hard and quick on all the places Wade wanted most, and if either of them got too close, Peter would slow down, be more gentle, and then start all over again. Wade entirely lost track of time; he was lost in a cloud of lust and desire.

When Peter started kissing Wade’s cheeks, it occurred to Wade that he was crying. Peter was saying something, probably asking if Wade was okay, but he couldn’t really make sense of the words. Instead, he just babbled about how much he wanted Peter to keep going, to never stop, and just hoped that some of the words made sense.

They must have, because Peter picked up the pace again, brutal and intense. Wade shouted himself hoarse, his fingers desperately clawing at the sheets under him. Peter attempted to muffle Wade by kissing him hard, licking into his mouth, devouring his crazed sounds.

Cock bouncing rhythmically and drooling constantly, Wade finally found release, completely untouched. It was powerful and spread over him like waves, each pump of his cock feeling like an electric bolt through his system, spreading sweet relief in its wake. The pleasure kept going, spiraling higher, milking him for all he had.

Peter pressed his face into Wade’s neck, breathing hard, grunting and moaning as he edged closer. Wade’s legs started to jitter from overstimulation, but it hardly bothered him. He was so far gone that his mind was silent for once, unable to focus on anything but the intense pleasure ripping through his system and whiting out his mind.

At last, Peter came with a cry, his hips jerking erratically, his body doubling over and bending Wade into an even more splayed position. They stayed like that for a long moment, just enjoying the feel of each other as they slowly fell back down to earth. When Peter could move, he carefully pulled out, and gently placed Wade back onto the bed.

All Wade could do was moan. He was worn out in the best of ways. Sure, it wouldn’t last, but he rarely got to enjoy the feeling of being totally fucked out. It was great. A hum of satisfaction filled his throat.

“You okay?” Peter asked.

“Mmm.” Wade smiled, unable, for once in his life, to form words.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Peter chuckled and started running his hands over Wade’s body.

All of them.

It was a unique experience to feel so many hands on him at once, stroking, massaging, and caressing. Peter’s movements were languid and smooth, showing love and attention to every bit of Wade’s scarred skin. It was almost too much. He felt overwhelmed by it. He had always longed to be touched in such a way, and with his eyes closed, it was as if more than just one person was offering it.

Peter must have heard Wade’s shaky breath. A hand lovingly stroked across Wade’s face, and feather light kisses trailed across Wade’s jaw. “You still okay?”

Wade swallowed so he could speak. “You’re touching me like you enjoy it.”

“I do enjoy it.”

Opening his eyes, Wade was faced with Peter’s warm brown ones, shining with love and affection. Wade’s heart clenched so hard he wondered if he’d die from it. Something warm and wet dripped down his face. Peter’s thumb brushed it away.

“It’s okay,” Peter whispered, his hand running over Wade’s scalp. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you.” Wade started openly crying. He was told it wasn’t very manly to cry after sex, but he didn’t really care. Peter wouldn’t judge Wade for it, and they both knew that the tears were much needed.

“And I love you.” Peter started kissing the tears off of Wade’s face, his hands never moving from their caressing of Wade’s skin. “I love you so much.”

Wade pulled Peter down until they were laying on their sides, legs tangled in each other, Wade’s arms wrapped tight around Peter’s shoulders, and six arms holding Wade in such a wonderfully encompassing grip. Really, they should do this more often. The extra arms thing was _amazing_.

“Now that things are more on a schedule,” Peter said. “We should make time to do this more often. Waiting for free time doesn’t really work.”

“Mmm, I wholeheartedly agree.”

“Did you… Did you like the… the arm thing?” Peter sounded so uncertain. How could he possibly?!

“Baby Boy, when I recover, I’m gonna have to jerk off again just thinking about how hot it was.”

Peter chuckled and he seemed to relax further. “Just tell me if you don’t like something.”

“There is very little I don’t like, let’s be real. But I actually really like how nice and secure I feel right now. I’m like a present and you’re the wrapping paper. I’m the steak and you’re the bacon. I’m the hentai girl and you’re the tentacle monst—”

“Okay, this officially stopped being cute.” But it was obvious Peter was trying not to laugh.

Wade grinned and nuzzled further against Peter. “I feel like I could get it up again soon.”

“You wanna go again?” Peter sounded surprised.

“I wanna fuck your brains out while you rake six sets of nails down my back.”

“Pervert.”

“You like it.”

“I do.” Peter grinned and pulled Wade’s chin up for a kiss.

That night found them both deep in a peaceful, dreamless sleep still wrapped in each other’s arms.

 

~*~

 

“ _Captain America_.”

A wispy, ethereal voice spoke his name somewhere behind him. A shiver ran up Steve’s spine before he forced himself to turn around, his professional smile firmly in place. The woman behind him had glowing eyes and shifting runes that trailed along her skin like shadows. Bit of her hair floated on currents of power that caused the air around her to be electrified. The hairs on Steve’s body stood on end.

“Ma’am.” He nodded and did his best not to let his unease show. The crowd of people that had been hovering around him to get a chance to shake his hand slowly tapered off and looked the other way. It seemed even other mutants found her powers to be unsettling.

“You _spoke_ today.” Her voice was both a whisper and a boom, yet at the same time Steve felt like she was speaking in normal tones. His head spun as he tried to futily rationalize it. “ **Your** words _moved_ those that would _harm_. Your **words** hold _weight_. **Many** future _lives_ are _saved_ thanks to **you**.”

Steve chuckled nervously, choked, and then coughed to clear his throat. “I’m just speaking from my heart, ma’am. A bill like that would be the first step in a lot of oppression, and that’s not the America I know.”

It was a PR line, and one that flowed easily after so many years. Still, he really did believe that the agendas some politicians were pushing were getting out of control. Fear mongering had become a political platform on which many stood. Steve didn’t agree with that at all.

So, of course, Nat had to point out how hypocritical it was of him to have that opinion when he wasn’t willing to fight for mutant rights. So there he was, speaking at an assembly on behalf of other mutants who were usually barred from such discussion due to the “danger they represented.” Steve used to agree with that rule, and in a way, he still did. Mutants made him uncomfortable, and all he could see was the potential danger in them.

Like the woman in front of him. He didn’t know her powers, and without an understanding of them, there was no way to set up a plan to restrain her if necessary. Mutants were a potential for a collapse or brutalization of law enforcement. Maintaining a balance was difficult enough without unnecessary police or civilian deaths.

The worst part was that most mutants didn’t have a full understanding of their own powers either. Even if they wanted to provide such information, it was near impossible to do. Experimentation was out for obvious reasons, and suppressing the genes had already proved dangerous as it could be militarized and abused.

Still, there had to be a good way to move forward. Steve wasn’t a mastermind and didn’t claim to know what the perfect outcome would be. However, if he could keep the peace long enough for others to find the best way to handle things in the future, then he would happily do so.

After all, mutants were still American citizens in need of protection.

“You _have_ much **more** to _learn_ , **soldier**.” The strange woman said, stepping closer to Steve with oddly liquid movements. He did his best not to take a step back in return.

“Yes! Of course. We should always keep ourselves educated and aware of the current social and political climate. One can never stop learning.”

She tilted her head at him, a breath rattling out of her chest, and her eyes flashing with colors Steve’s mind couldn’t name. “ **I** will _give_ _you_ a **gift**.”

“No, no! That’s not at all necessary. I’m just happy to help.” After all, he was a little nervous about what exactly she would give him. He didn’t particularly need a shrunken head on his keychain.

A cold gust of wind ruffled his hair, biting into his suit. He was dressed to impress in his usual outfit, shield on his back. Making a statement with his image was something that hadn’t changed at all since he’d first been frozen. It was both frustrating and comforting that things still worked like that. Still, without the exertion of a fight, his suit did little to combat the cold front moving into DC, where he currently stood.

 _I bet the weather is nice where Peter is_ , he thought grumpily. Perhaps he could hint at a visit again soon in his letters. At the very least, a face to face talk at the edge of the dome.

“ **Name** what it _is_ you _wish_!” The woman insisted, her voice seeming to curl through the air like smoke.

“No, really, don’t waste your powers on me. It’s safer to stay discreet in such an open area, don’t you agree?”

Honestly, some days he was jealous of Peter. A nice long vacation would do him good. Of course, such thoughts just made him feel guilty. Steve could read between the lines. He knew how ashamed Peter felt about leaving New York, and likely Steve would feel the same. That only lead to the ever present worry about what exactly was happening to Peter.

 _I’d feel better if I could at least know what was going on. Talk to him in person, at least once. I just need to get in there…_ he thought for the hundredth time.

“ ** _So be it_**.”

“Wait, what?”

But Steve didn’t get a chance to say anything more or even call for assistance. A moment later, reality unmade itself, leaving him floating in a void of chaotic creation. It was, frankly, the most terrifying experience of his life to date. If he had a throat, he would have screamed.

Then, as quickly as it began, it ended. Steve stumbled and dropped to a knee, clutching his head as he tried to make sense of reality again. Under his feet was lush grass speckled in tiny flowers, no sign of the concrete he had so recently stood upon. Slowly looking up at his surroundings, he gaped in shock.

The area around him was huge, silver glinting in the sun from the edges of the enclosure. In the middle stood a giant metal tree, the branches reaching up to connect with the honeycomb pattern of the dome.

The dome. He was inside the dome.

“How…” But then he noticed other things.

Along the tree and speckled across the grass were wide spirals or patches of white. Like giant spiderweb traps. Or maybe not _like_ giant spiderweb traps, they _were_ giant spiderweb traps. They were everywhere. Some had a collection of bugs and pollen stuck to the surface, while others writhed with movement from captured prey.

Steve was suddenly hyper aware of the decision everyone had seemed so content with to keep Peter locked behind these bars. In the back of Steve’s mind, he knew there was a good reason for it, but he’d been so adamant about his ability to handle his teammates, that he ignored it. Unease rippled up his spine. He shouldn’t be here. He was in danger.

On that thought, hairy brown legs started emerging from the some of the spiraled nests in the yard. Steve’s mind went into overdrive as he looked around him, trying to assess how many there were and where they were coming from. Within a minute, the answer became clear: he was surrounded.

In an instant, he had his shield out onto his arm and he settled into a low fighting stance. He circled at a steady, even pace, trying to keep everything in sight. Every time his back was turned, more legs would appear, followed by torsos or beady eyes. He never saw them move, just saw the results of their movement when he looked again. It was creepy as hell.

At last, one of them was fully emerged into the light. It was spider, alright, but unlike anything he’d previously encountered. It was the size of a dog, its body bulky and sturdy, it’s palps moving under its form in agitated jerks. Steve whipped his head around again and again to see more of them in the open, hovering in front of their nests, all eyes on the prey in their midst.

Steve cut his eyes over at the tree. Perhaps he could climb it and make a stand on one of the branches. He’d be able to bottleneck them and keep them at bay until someone noticed he was missing, or someone inside the manor house in the distance noticed he was there.

“Nice mutated spiders,” Steve whispered as he took a few cautious steps in the direction of his target. “Just stay still. I promise I don’t taste good at all.”

One of them skittered forward in a jerk of movement before going perfectly still. Its palps moved as if tasting the air. A few of the others jerked forward as well. They were likely fighting over who got to bite first and take the biggest part of the meal. Steve swallowed and took another step towards the metal tree.

Then, out of nowhere, came a high pitched chittering that was picked up and chorused by others. Just the sound of it sent alarm bells off in Steve’s head. The other spiders were affected as well, as the all raised up a little higher on their legs, their body hairs shifting erratically. Movement out of the corner of his eye caused Steve to turn in time to see a pack of spiders charging him.

“Shit!”

He took off in the direction of the tree, but the giant monsters were fast. He didn’t make it halfway there before they were on him. One of them leaped into the air, high enough that it dropped down from above him. Steve threw up his shield and used the momentum against it, sending it flying off in another direction. He whirled just in time to block another and gave a quick shove to send it tumbling back into the others. They rolled in a pile of flailing limbs across the grass.

More of them came running towards him and other burst from holes in the dirt he hadn’t previously seen. It was like a scene out of a nightmare. Steve could feel cold sweat dripping down the back of his neck as his heart rate ratched up. He had been up against well armed aliens and been massively outnumbered in the past, but being surrounded by _giant_ _spiders_ trying to make a meal of him was a whole new kind of fear induced adrenaline rush.

One of them landed on his back, but he managed to grab it by a leg and sling it into another that was in mid jump. They crashed to the ground hard, but it did little good. Another was jumping in the arm and Steve swung his leg out to kick it, but it was smart. It twisted mid air and caught it, wrapping its legs around Steve’s and holding on tight.

“Damn it!”

He needed to get it off _fast_ before it bit him. Webbing was already shooting out of it and coating his suit from the hip down. He lifted his shield up to slam it down on the thing, but two other spiders slammed into him. One on his back, and the other onto his shield.

Steve dropped, rolled, and then jumped up, swinging the shield with all his might while still keeping a grip on it. The spiders clinging to his body were stunned after having such weight roll over them, and the spider on his shield lost its grip and went sailing through the air.

Everywhere Steve looked were more flashes of brown, more piles of webbing, more dark eyes focused on him. Something hit his leg with enough force that be buckled and fell. How strong were these hellions? He brought his shield up in time to stop a hit and and the impact made him grunt.

It was unfair that they were as big as they were _and_ that strong.

 _Damn it, damn it, damn it_. This was why he should keep his distance from strange mutants.

A much louder and much more terrifying chittering filled the air. The other spiders froze at the noise, and Steve found himself turning towards the source of the sound in horror. Had he said that he was fighting giant spiders? He was wrong. The thing coming at him made the others look tiny.

The thing stood well over twice his height and a blood red symbol of some sort stood out against its hide just above those large and terrifying multiple sets of eyes. It was running at him, and despite the size of the thing, it did not thunder in its movement. That made it all the more horrific.

His other attackers scattered at the sight of it and Steve decided that was a good idea. He turned tail and ran, his heart in his throat and his ears ringing. If possible, the thing was faster than the smaller ones. It would catch up to Steve long before he could find shelter.

And it did.

Steve barely got his shield up in time before one giant leg was slamming into it. The force of the blow send him flying sideways. Had he taken that hit in the ribs, where the spider had been aiming, it would have shattered them. Steve tucked and rolled, coming up into a crouch and lifting the shield over his head instinctively, gritting his teeth and clenching his eyes shut. Another blow hit the shield and it flung the spider’s leg back from the force of it.

 _Thank god for vibranium_.

The mammoth spider reared up, ready to slam two legs down on Steve, another lashing out to sweep his legs from under him with a bone shattering blow. He jumped, landing on the leg, and springboarding onto another. He took off, trying to run up and onto the spider’s back, where he’d have a chance of avoiding the legs and getting in a solid blow.

What he was not expecting was the speed in which the spider recovered, grabbing him in a sticky grip, and flinging him through the air to land hard onto the grass. Steve slid to a stop, his foot jerking at an odd angle when it caught itself in a web trap. Pain caused tears to sting his eyes, but he had no time to lay there.

He forced his body to roll sideways and was glad it was a good decision. The air whistled over his head as he barely missed another attack. He got his feet under him in time to see the beast skitter to the side, lining up a better angle of attack. Steve was prepared to leap out of the way at a moment’s notice.

He was _not_ prepared for the thing to feint left and then land a blow hard to Steve’s gut, sending him flying through the air once more. That time, he didn’t control the fall, and landed hard enough on his shoulder for his entire arm to go numb. Pain flared through his system, blinding him for a split second. Panic clawed at his throat, for he didn’t have such time to spare.

His vision cleared to the spider running at him, far too fast and far too close. Steve struggled to get to his feet, but his throbbing ankle buckled and sent him back to the ground. He curled up as best he could under his shield, hoping it would take the worst of the next attack, and knowing he wasn’t going to come out of this in one piece.

Then, a shadow dropped over him with a thump. Steve looked up in shock to see _yet_ _another_ mammoth spider. With a surprisingly calculated hit, it sent to first beast flying backwards until it slid to a halt.

Steve scrambled backwards, trying to get out from under the massive form. Its legs shuffled restlessly and erratically, making it dangerous to roll to the side in case he was accidentally stomped. Though Steve didn’t really relish crawling out the back end considering it meant he’d be under the spinnerets, it was better than the alternatives.

With his good foot, he pushed back while keeping a close eye on the fight in front of him. The second spider seemed to be claiming the prey (Steve) as its own and was willing to fight for it. It reared back, front legs spreading wide, palps raised, a high and threatening chitter sounding from it.

The other spider slammed its legs into the ground in anger. Sharp and oddly staccato chitters escaped from it and its palps moved furiously. It suddenly bolted to the side with amazing speed, but the second spider kept up, turning with it, its raised legs jerking in warning.

Steve pushed with his good foot, trying to slide further back. One good push and he could back out from under the thing as long as it didn’t turn again. Steve frantically looked around for the other spiders. The smaller ones were huddled in clusters in a ring around the two fighting ones. Steve’s eyes darted from place to place, looking for an opening large enough for him to make a run for it.

There! It was a break in the line that lead straight to the manor house. Sure, it was a long distance, but if he could get close enough, he could get Vision’s attention. Surely, Vision could hurt one of the massive things enough to send it running. Gritting his teeth against the pain he knew was coming, Steve lurched to his feet and bolted towards the path he needed in order to survive.

He didn’t get very far before something hit the back of his knee and sent him sprawling. His shield was kicked away from him and a hand was suddenly there, picking him up and dragging him away from the waring spiders. Steve lashed out instinctively, but he was stunned and wounded and the person was strong and fast. His arm was locked in no time.

“Whoa, there, Spangle-butt! Settle down!”

Steve froze. “Deadpool?”

“The one and only!”

Looking up, Steve came face to mask with none other than Deadpool himself. He gaped for a moment before he whipped his head back over to look at the symbol wearing spider when it made an attempt to lunge at the humans, only to be thwarted by the other.

“We have to go!” Steve threw authority into his voice, as that tended to calm him down in these kinds of situations. Knowing he was the leader and was responsible for others when they were panicking helped him keep a steady head. “If we can make it to the house, we can call Vision and—”

“Oh- _hooo_ no. We ain’t going anywhere. Stay still if you don’t wanna get ripped apart.”

Steve intended to argue, but then yet another jaw dropping thing happened. Loki, of all people, suddenly appeared in front of the marked spider. Just formed out of thin air! He was not wearing his usual regal robes, but the haughty anger and sharp features were all too familiar.

“Does this not prove how dangerous he is?!” Loki was shaking with rage and yelling at… the other gargantuan spider. One of Loki’s long white finger stabbed through the air to point at Steve, still held hostage by Deadpool’s grip. “He _attacked_ them!”

Attacked who? Who was Loki even talking about?

The other spider chittered brokenly in response and took a threatening step forward. Loki looked ready to burst a blood vessel. Deadpool sighed in what sounded like defeat.

“You done fucked up, ya know that?” Deadpool said.

“I didn’t come here on purpose!” Steve tried to bargain his way out of the dangerous situation of being surrounded by predators and a livid Loki. “There was a woman—”

“Yeah, there’s always a woman…” Deadpool lamented, like they were having drinks at a bar and not surrounded by giant spiders.

“And _you_!” Loki turned his glare on Deadpool. “How can you stand aside and protect he who would harm your children?”

Children? Steve was totally and utterly lost. As far as Steve knew, Deadpool only had one child, and she was safe and under protective care by SHIELD. Steve had never done a thing to the child.

“Loki, my dude, listen, I feel like you’re exacerbating this a bit.”

“He broke into _our_ home and attacked _children_! Yet you would forgive him of that?”

“I didn’t attack anyone!” Steve shouted back, offended at the mere accusation. “You had no reason to sic your—”

“Stop. Talking.” Deadpool growled, voice suddenly low and dangerous.

Steve was aware of how unpredictable Deadpool was and since Steve needed the crazed mercenary on his side, he decided to keep his mouth shut. There was a tense silence before Loki spoke again, his anger abated not at all.

“We should kill him.”

“We’re not gonna kill _Captain America_. Are you an idiot?”

The towering spider between them and Loki chittered again, its raised arms shifting around in a threatening manner. Loki bared his teeth at it, the spider behind him crouching down lower as if it was ready to leap into the air.

“Okay, boys, calm down!” Deadpool yelled at them. “There will be no more fighting.”

“He does not take orders from you!” Loki glared at Steve, though he was speaking to Deadpool. “He is, at this moment, planning on how to attack all of us!”

“Well, then, we make sure he can’t.”

Steve didn’t like the sound of that. Before he could determine what was going to happen, he was thrown forward hard enough that he stumbled face first into the grass. A heavy weight landed on his back. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake it off or manage any wiggle room at all. The spider had an insane amount of strength in a single leg, disproportionate even to its size.

He looked around him for his shield and spotted it on the ground over his shoulder. It was too far away to reach, but because he was looked, he saw when one of the dog sized spiders took off running at the now immobile Steve. He shouted a warning, hoping Deadpool would have enough mercy to keep Steve from getting eaten.

To his utter surprise, the spider pinning him down dropped one of its threatening legs on top of the running spider and lifted it into the air. The smaller spider thrashed wildly, chittering rapidly, but it did no good. The large spider brought it to its mouth, palps running over every inch of it. Steve swallowed bile. He had heard some spiders were cannibals…

Deadpool walked around into view, directly in front of the spider and propped his hands on his hips as he studied the scene. “Ya know, I’d put money on this being your fault.” It seemed like he was… talking to the spider getting eaten.

“You cannot blame him for protecting his territory from aggressive invaders! He is a _child_!” Loki ranted.

Deadpool chose to ignore that as he lifted his hands into the air. “C’mere, trouble maker.”

Miraculously, the behemoth spider carefully placed the still fighting smaller spider into Deadpool’s arms. The mercenary seemed quite adept at holding onto such a thrashing creature and compensated for its movements easily. Eventually, the creature gave up and stopped struggling.

Then, as if Steve’s world couldn’t possible get weirder, the spider’s skin started to shift and reform. It elongated and restructured its core until it was more human like, but still covered in spiney fur, and still with six arms and two legs with claws at the ends of the limbs. The oddly pincer-like mouth shifted around underneath those intense black eyes.

It looked hauntingly like the pictures Nat had shown Steve of Spider-man’s old mutation.

“ _Ohhh_ , you think you’re clever, don’t you?” Wade chuckled. “You’re thirty years too early to outwit _me_ in a battle of squirming!” To his credit, Wade never once lost his grip on the restless spider-beast.

Another of the dog sized spider crawled towards Loki and his beast. It looked like it was limping, favoring one of its legs, likely from the battle with Steve. The sight of it did… interesting things to Loki. His face contorted in pain, anger, and guilt. He dropped to his knees and carefully scooped it into his arms, running gentle hands over it.

“Fools!” Loki bit out. “You’re all fools! They will be taken away, locked up, caged, mocked, forced into submission via fear of death. If they do not succumb, then they will be killed, violently, brutally, displayed for all to see, for all to cheer over. I thought you understood this! The best outcome now is getting banished to a dangerous realm where they can be little more than starved survivors, constantly battling for their lives! You will be spurned and punished! You will be—”

“Loki!” Deadpool handed the morphed spider back to the one that was keeping Steve hostage and then ran over Loki.

The god flinched, drawing the spider closer to his chest, the marked beast above him hunkering down protectively. Deadpool held up his hands and slowed his approach, kneeling down and whispering soft and lulling things. He placed one hand on the spider, and the other on Loki’s shoulder.

“This is different. A different place, a different time, and with different people. Nobody is going to hurt them. I promise. Stay with us in the here and now.”

“I am offended at your insinuation that I am getting lost in my past tragedy and thus cannot think rationally.”

“Yes, yes. You are totally in control.”

“I am _not_!” Loki looked stunned and then angry at his sudden confession. “I hate this! I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!”

“I would, too.” Deadpool agreed. “But we can’t afford to lash out at potential allies right now. Cap was just scared, and he’s about as banged up as they are, if not worse. But! Nobody is seriously injured. We can still fix this. Everyone needs to get to the labs for a checkup.”

“NO!” The sharp voice came from behind Steve. He did his best to turn around to see who it had come from.

Yet again, he was left gaping in shock. A child — a toddler — was fighting with one of the smaller spiders over his shield. She planted a solid foot into its abdomen and shoved it off the thing, which sent her tumbling backward and sprawling as the shield overbalanced her. The spider darted forward once more to make a grab at it, but the massive spider over Steve picked  up the shield and held it away from all of them. A few of the other spiders started leaping into the air to try and nab it.

The little girl shouted a few more no’s at the spiders, looking angry and without an ounce of fear. Steve sure enough felt fear for the both of them. She was the _size_ of the spiders surrounding her, and obviously didn’t have a clue the danger she was in. He choked on a warning, unsure if he should bring more attention to her or not. But someone had to get her away!

Heedless of the predators surrounding her, she ran right up to Steve, stomped her foot, and shouted, “No!”

“Get away from him!” Loki’s voice was panicked. At least he cared about the safety of the child that was so close to the creature towering over them.

“Calm down,” Deadpool admonished. “Steve isn’t going to hurt her.”

Wait. What? Loki was panicked over… Steve? The truth of the situation clawed at the back of his mind, but he wasn’t ready to accept it just yet. It was too much for him. It was…

“Li-Li, come here!” Deadpool called, holding one had out to the child.

She gave Steve one last dirty look and then ran over and into Deadpool’s arms, clinging tight. He patted and cooed at her, trying to get her to calm down. A thunk caught Steve’s attention and his head turned of its own accord to see one of the spiders had caught hold of his shield and was trying to bite it to no avail. The immense spider leg shook vigorously and dislodged the smaller spider, making sure the creature was close enough to the ground to land safely.

Something touched Steve’s leg and he let out a sort shout of alarm. His foot kicked instinctively, and he looked down to see yet another spider quickly scurrying back and out of the way. There were others, all of them creeping closer for a chance to try and get at Steve. He was pinned down and helpless, and neither Deadpool nor Loki seemed inclined to assist. Were they just going to leave him there to get eaten?

The beast above him shifted, turning to the smaller spiders trying to get closer to Steve. It chittered brokenly, it’s massive palps moving over and around each other. It did it again and again until a few of the spiders repeated the motion. Steve’s head was a mess. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t breathe, and he felt numb except for the places on him still throbbing in pain.

Then the towering beast started shifting, shrinking, reforming, just as the smaller spider had. The weight bearing down on Steve shifted and he wrenched himself free, stumbling back from the creature. The smaller spiders jumped forward, eager to block him in, and try as he might, he couldn’t keep them all in sight. The thing before him shifted into an exact replica of Man-Spider. Steve could recognize it anywhere. He’d stared at it for a long time as he had contemplated what it would mean if Peter had indeed become a mutant.

“Dear god…” Steve whispered, eyes locked on the hideous beast.

Then it shifted more, becoming more and more human, the fur sucked up into tanned skin, the arms melting into its sides. When it was done, a person stood, looking down at Steve with disapproval. The man was nude and quickly surrounded by hovering dog sized spiders, some of which were shifting into human form as well.

“Steve.”

“Peter,” Steve weakly returned.

“AHHH!” A little boy the same age as the girl Steve had seen earlier suddenly ran up and launched himself into the air, aimed directly at Steve. Peter lurched forward in time to catch the child, and pull the squirming and screaming bundle to his chest with an annoyed sigh. Somewhere behind Steve, Deadpool was cackling.

“Nick, if you do not calm down this instant, I am handing you over to Wanda!” Peter threatened.

“No, but—” Deadpool gasped for air though his laughter. “Captain America — ahahaha! — was bested by —  _snort_ — a pack of toddlers!” He cackled for a long moment before finishing up with. “Nick finally won!”

Peter rolled his eyes, but affectionately ruffled Nick’s hair nevertheless. “No more attacking people. You’re gonna get hurt.”

“NO!” Li shouted in agreement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had thought out about 9 different ways of getting Steve inside the dome. I was finally like "Fuck it! Let's make *another* random character!" I liked the idea of him being scared shitless over some other calmer options I had originally planned on. So that's what I wrote!
> 
> My goal was for Steve to misinterpret everything he saw. He's used to battle strategy and things attacking him, not determining if giant spiders are trying to play. I also went through soooo many synonyms for "large" that I started laughing about it. XD
> 
> I also wanted the scene to feel tense. As a reader, you know the babies are just as scared as Steve is. So I wanted a few times for you to be like "STEVE NO!" and worry for the babies' health. ^.^' heh I know. I'm a sadist.
> 
> I really enjoyed writing Loki's reactions to things and his emotional outburst. Poor Loki. I torture him so much.
> 
> Now I gotta get to writing the aftermath of all of this chaos. That should be fun!
> 
> I've missed you guuuuys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. <3


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a solid wall of dialogue. @.@

Steve sat in a corner of the lab, his arm in a sling and his ankle wrapped up tight. He had little cuts, bruises, and friction burns all over him, and half his face was swelling. Still, he’d been much worse off in the past. Wanda had cleaned him up and treated him before leaving him in a chair. She left to go back to food production duty.

In the meantime, Peter and Wade were looking over the kids. They started with those visibly injured, then moved to others they knew had been outside, and finally (because Peter was paranoid) the rest of the kids. Wade logged everything in their files as Peter did a thorough check up.

Loki was toting kids one at a time in and out of the room. Well, at least one of his projections was. Another sat in the corner of the room that housed the feeding tanks. He was sullen and scowling, collecting all the injured kids around him like an overprotective mother bear — gentle, but fearsomely protective.

Wade hummed to himself as he considered all the things they needed to consider since he would likely be the only one considering them. Since when had _he_ become the adult in the situation? He had just filled a sentence with the word “consider” three times! He should never have been considered for this position.

_Damn it._

Anyways, Steve was silent, watching the proceedings around him with concern and trepidation. Peter was valiantly ignoring that Steve was even there. Wade knew that was Peter’s way of fighting off a panic attack. They didn’t really have a plan for someone being magically transported into the middle of this mess. It hadn’t really seemed like something one should plan for.

 _What? I’m supposed to make a plan for every_ deus ex machina _that could possibly be? My writers_ hate _me!_ This _is why I wing it!_

“Okay, Luke, all done!” Peter cooed. “You did very well this time. Thank you for not squirming.”

Luke’s palps reached out and waggled in Peter’s direction. Peter grinned and bent down to leave the kisses that were being asked for. Luke ran his palps over Peter’s face affectionately, tapping gently as if kissing back. He was the last one to receive a check-up, though vastly unnecessary. Luke had been with Vision in the music room during the entire incident.

“Come here.” Peter’s voice was full to the brim with affection as he scooped Luke up into his arms. Luke was one of the calmer children. He tended to sit out of the way of chaos, and enjoyed the slow classical music when it played. He was always the last to eat, never wanting to fight for dibs, which tended to make Peter fret.

Of course, those traits made Luke the perfect cuddling companion. He was great about clinging on just enough and never using the full abilities of his strength. He also was one of the kids who refused to hunt or play in the troublemaking games that Nick instigated. Wade was thankful for that last part.

Loki made his way back into the lab. “I’ve seen to it that all the injured are sleeping to help facilitate healing.”

The kids had a healing factor of their own, thanks to Peter’s genetics. It wasn’t nearly as strong as Peter’s, but it meant most of their injuries cleared up in a few days. That was a good thing, considering the fights they tended to end up in amongst themselves.

Peter handed Luke over so Loki could bring the child back out of the labs, even if Luke was the least likely to make a mess. While Loki was gone, Wade turned to address Steve.

“Do not ask Loki a direction question. Ever. If you even attempt to, I will chop off your family jewels, got it?”

Steve simply stared back in return. Peter sighed, but didn’t scold Wade for the comment, which Wade was sure Steve was surprised over. In the end, it was best to focus on questioning Steve, not explaining the personal details of everyone inside the giant metal egg.

When Loki re-entered the lab, he stood off to the side, keeping a baleful eye on Steve, as if he’d be needed to subdue the hero at any moment. Wade decided to look on the upside of that: at least Loki wasn’t trying to outright kill Steve anymore.

“Who all knows that you’re here?” Peter asked, eyes on the exam table as he finished cleaning up.

“Nobody,” Steve answered. He explained situation, how the mutant had appeared, spoken about Steve’s good deed, and then transported him when he had been silently worrying about Peter.

“A Seer,” Loki summed up.

“I don’t know who might have seen me vanish when she… did whatever she did. I do know that by now, those accompanying me to DC will know that I’m missing.”

“Nobody saw you,” Loki stated. “Seers are careful, but they tend to only look at the broad picture and not individual needs.”

“You sound knowledgeable,” Wade commented.

“I studied with all the great minds and magic users in my youth.” Loki stuck his nose in the air, proud yet defensive over his education.

“So one moment you’re in another country,” Peter summed up. “And the next, you’re walking out of our home covered in wounds.” Peter’s fingers tightened their grip on the tabletop where they rested. “I’m sure that will go over well.”

Wade sighed. “If we keep him here long enough to recover, we’ll have to tell at least Tony about it so someone can cover for Captain America’s absence. Even if Steve leaves now, we’ll have to call someone to pick him up.”

“And I’m sure nobody will be suspicious at all about the fact that the only person anyone knows of that has a teleporter is you.” Peter’s voice was raising in tension quickly.

Wade ran a finger over the strap of the teleporter he had on unconsciously. “Yeah, but, why would we bring him here after trying so hard to keep him out?”

“I’m sure they’ll come up with plenty of reasons!” Peter snapped. “Whether they make sense or not, they’re just looking for a way in! An excuse to blow a hole in the fence! An excuse to come in here and hurt—”

Peter cut off his tirade with a hiss, his sides rippling under his shirt. Wade was there in an instant, stomach pressed up against Peter’s back, hands sliding up under the shirt to press against the skin of Peter’s chest. Wade’s mask and gloves were off because the kids didn’t like those places being covered. Peter didn’t like it either, though he didn’t complain as much.

“Shh, deep breaths,” Wade whispered, his face pressed against Peter’s. It took some time, but Peter finally relaxed, his eyes drooping closed as he leaned back against Wade. Peter’s fingers limply slid off the table to hang by his sides.

“I don’t see why this is a problem at all.” Loki glowered at Steve. “If nobody knows where he was teleported, then it is not our fault if he goes missing.”

“For the love of Loki, Loki, we are not killing Captain America.” Wade had lost count of how many times he had shut that idea down.

“Maybe we could teleport him somewhere else,” Peter murmured.

“He still knows too much!” Loki argued.

“Actually,” Steve spoke up. “I don’t know a damn thing, and I’d appreciate someone explaining what exactly is going on.”

Peter opened his eyes to level a carefully controlled look onto Steve. “How many mutants have you met during your oh so recent crusade, Steve? Have you seen children? Babies that don’t look human? Have you seen grown adults try to kill those children just because they look different?”

“Peter…”

“I used to be like you. I was afraid of mutants. I was terrified of becoming one myself. I did everything I could to reverse Man-Spider.”

“You were successful back then—”

“I was. You’re right. Did you know that in an alternate verse, I was not? Yet, I was still Spider-man. I still did everything I could to protect people, even though those people were afraid of me. Even though _you_ saw me as something less than you.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Put yourself in my shoes! What would you have done?”

Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Honestly? I would have gone to Tony.”

“To reverse it.”

“Yeah, and I’m not sorry about that. Our lives are easier without this. You know that, otherwise you wouldn’t be holed up in the middle of nowhere, afraid of anyone seeing you. Why haven’t you come to us for help?”

“Because that’s exactly what you would have done. Gotten rid of it.”

“And you want this?” Steve waved his good arm around to indicate everything happening outside the lab. “You want to be isolated and terrified?”

“I made the choice that I had to make.” Peter brought one hand up to clutch at Wade’s arm. “I made it for _them_!”

Steve’s eyes cut behind the trio to the large glass walls that showed the spiders beyond. They were everywhere, crawling around, curled up by another image of Loki, attached to the walls, crawling over each other to get at the feeding tubes. It was definitely a sight one had to get used to.

“Are they…” but Steve didn’t finish the question.

“They’re mine,” Peter confirmed. “Genetically. Biologically. All of them.”

“How?”

Peter looked stricken before valiantly trying to gain control of his expression. His hand tightened its grip on Wade’s arm. He was in no emotional state to try and discuss the loss of the woman who mothered his children.

“It doesn’t matter,” Wade cut in. “The point is that Peter has been raising them since they hatched, and I’ve been here not long after. We’ve been looking after them 24/7 and we don’t need someone who’s been here five minutes telling us what is best for them.”

“And I know how long Wanda and Vision have been here…” Steve looked over at Loki. “But _him…_ ”

“Thor brought in Loki,” Peter clarified.

“Thor?!” Steve’s eyes looked ready to bug out of his head.

Loki sniffed. “Yes. Thor. The person who has had me tortured and locked away in solitude for years brought me to your realm to care for children. I’m sure you wish to undermine his decision as well, since surely you are far more enlightened than any _god_.”

Welp, _this_ was going well. “Look, we have it handled,” Wade cut in before it could turn into a fight. “Nothing's gonna change anytime soon. So the question is, what are you gonna do?”

Steve looked between all of them. “I haven’t been trying to gain your trust all this time just to blow it out of the water. I’m not the bad guy here. I _want_ to help.”

“Your _help_ is not needed.” Loki bared his teeth.

Ignoring that, Steve focused on Peter. “This is a dangerous situation. I just want to make sure everyone stays safe. And I do mean _everyone_ here.”

“Hmm…” Peter stepped away from Wade who let his hands slowly slide off of Peter’s body. Making his way over to the collection of medical supplies and equipment, Peter started fiddling with a few things. “You say that you have an idea of what you can do to help me out.”

“Your resources here are limited,” Steve reasoned. “You need a better understanding of what your mutated form is capable of. Yours _and_ theirs. I did _not_ attack first! I _tried_ to communicate.”

Wade saw what Peter was doing. Forcing Steve to admit that he thought the spider forms were dangerous, mindless beasts. Perhaps at one point, that argument would have worked on Peter. However, they were all better informed now.

“How many children have you raised during your time in constant war, Steve?” Peter asked, slipping something onto his wrists out of Steve’s sight. They both knew that the extent of Steve’s childcare skills was kissing babies for the media.

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have a basic understanding of natural human instincts to a situation—”

“Human instincts,” Peter cut in. “That is to say, you believe my children would have reacted differently to your presence if they were not mutants. That _I_ would have handled the fight between you and Loki differently if _I_ were not a mutant.”

“Peter… Your behavior and choices have been drastic and erratic for over three years now. Pinpointing the cause of that isn’t complicated. I’m not trying to accuse you of being something bad. I am just saying that the decisions you are making are skewed by your current circumstances.”

The worst part was, Steve wasn’t wrong. Wade had seen first hand how Peter would make ill advised decisions that perhaps he wouldn’t have prior to everything happening. However, the reasons for that were emotional and heavily influenced by the responsibility he felt for his kids, not because of his mutation. It seemed that convincing Steve of the difference would be difficult.

“I suppose since my children are incapable of logically assessing a situation, they would only be able to assume that someone wrapped up in a cocoon would be food.”

Peter’s cold gaze met Steve’s. To Cap’s credit, his instincts were spot on, and his reaction time was fast. Too bad Peter was faster.

Steve lurched to his feet, but that only made it easier for Peter to use his webshooters. By the time Steve toppled over onto the floor, he was wrapped up tight, webbing covering him from feet to just under his nose. He wiggled and writhed, but it was pointless. Spider-man’s webbing was too strong for even an enhanced superhero to break.

Taking slow and steady steps, Peter walked over to look down at Steve. “As you know, my webbing dissolves in two hours. Of course, the venom we naturally produce works in only a matter of minutes. It paralyses all of the tissue, so the prey will die quickly prior to being eaten.”

Frankly, Wade was surprised Peter had it in him. Steve was wide eyed with fear, his nostrils flared against his rapid breathing, his body still uselessly trying to fight his way out. Such a fear inducing scenario wasn’t beyond Wade, but usually Peter had more restraint. Steve must have really pissed Peter off.

“Knowing all of those facts, knowing that you have introduced yourself as a threat to their territory and their safety,” Peter crouched down, cocking his head to one side as he studied the man on the floor. “What do you think will happen if I drop you in the middle of them all?”

Steve was trying to talk through the webbing covering his mouth, making loud and insistent noises. Not that it would help. Peter was hardly to be swayed, and frankly, Wade didn’t disagree.

“I supposed we’ll find out.”

The muffled cries got louder, desperately trying to change the outcome and beg for help. Peter easily threw the bundle-o-Steve onto his shoulder and into a fireman’s carry. He wasted no time as he headed for the door. Wade followed, but Loki didn’t. He just looked annoyed with them all. Wanda watched them go with a conflicted look, but she made no move to intercept.

Peter toted Steve into one of the large great room areas that the kids tended to collect in. There were toys and activities everywhere, crayon “artwork” stuck to the walls haphazardly. A few kids were already there, though other curious ones had followed after their parents. Everyone was watching Peter’s screaming and trashing bundle curiously.

Said bundle was tossed onto the floor unceremoniously. Steve winced as his injuries smarted. He didn’t stay still, however, as he was still trying to use his mummified body as a makeshift bludgeon against anyone that got too close. Peter fixed that problem with a few more quick bursts of webbing, pinning Steve’s feet, hips, and shoulders to the ground.

With the thrashing at a minimum, the kids were a little braver in their exploration. They scuttled closer, poking tentatively at Steve. Wade was mildly concerned that Steve would end up pissing himself.

“Steve, please, I can’t understand you.” Peter paced around his prisoner. “I get the distinct feeling that you’re trying to trying to tell me something about my children that me, as their father, and being with them their whole lives, somehow don’t know. But _you_ , having been here only for a moment and in irregular circumstances understand everything.”

Ohhh, yeah. Peter was _mad_. Wade winced in sympathy.

“After all, that’s your super power, isn’t it? Walking into a situation and suddenly understanding everything. That’s why hydra never pulled the wool over _your_ eyes!”

Hearing the tone in Peter’s voice, the kids looked up at him curiously. Peter made the sign for “friend” and “help” before pointing at Steve. A few of them mimicked the words, while others immediately started assessing Steve’s situation, plucking at the insanely strong man-made webs.

“So you obviously know what is going to happen to you now,” Peter said as he walked away. “Since I’m leaving you alone with them.”

“MMM-MMM!!!” Well, that was most likely Steve screaming Peter’s name, _that_ was clear as day, but there was nothing to be done about it. Wade just shook his head and followed Peter back out the door.

Peter speed walked his way upstairs to the little area that would give him a clear view of what was happening below in the great room, but didn’t allow him to be seen. He stood tense and rigid as he watched everything unfold below them. Wade sat on the cushioned stool he had placed in the corner long ago for those times that they came to observe how the kids behaved when left on their own. Peter was ever the scientist.

“Your cold hearted act kinda loses its zing when you stand there fretting like that. A shame, too. It was really doing things for my submissive side.” Wade leaned back against the wall as he watched Peter watch Steve.

“They’re strong. They might accidentally hurt him if they get frustrated with the webbing.”

“You could have just supervised them.”

“No. That could be misconstrued as me having some kind of control over them, be it an instinctual link, parent figure, or fear of the stronger spider. To be honest, I didn’t even want to give them the signs that I did, but I couldn’t risk leaving everything up to chance.”

“Well, not saying anything out loud still completes the act. Pretty sure he hasn’t figured out that they know spidey sign language.”

“He seems to have a mental block over them knowing any language at all. It’s not as if Li is just mimicking a word she likes. She understands the meaning of the word ‘no.’” They both took a moment to lament that fact. Ever since learning the word, Li had become increasingly bossy.

They were silent for a while. Steve’s muffled shouts were lessening in frequency and volume. Wade wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. At the very least, he knew it wasn’t dangerous since Peter hadn’t moved.

“How’s it going?” Wade asked.

Peter sighed. “Jess and Astor are testing the strength of the webbing to find the weak points. They have Trent in half-form, seeing if his claws can break through.”

“Can they?”

“No.”

“Good to know.”

“Mm… But it will weaken as it dissolves and allow them to cut through.”

“Are they the only ones working on him?”

“Not exactly,” Peter replied wryly. “The others are just distracted with trying to reproduce how the webbing was made and getting frustrated at their attempts. Most of them got bored and wandered off. _Bren_ , however, is relentlessly poking Steve in the face to force noises out of him. Also, Bren seems to be collecting Steve’s hair at random.”

Wade snorted. “He likes shiney things. Steve is the first person with blonde hair that he could get that close to.”

“There’s that, I guess.” An annoyed frown could be heard in Peter’s voice when he said, “A bald spot serves him right.”

Wade grinned over that before asking, “So, once we convince him of their charitable goodwill, what next?”

Peter sighed and leaned against one of the ornate support pillars. “I don’t know. We can’t keep him here. He has to go back sooner rather than later.”

“And we have to tell someone where he is.”

“That, too…” Peter didn’t sound happy about that at all. Wade couldn’t blame him.

“Well, we still have Tony Stank’s number.”

“He’s gonna be so pissed…”

“Eh. Let Cap deal with that part.”

“Wade…” Peter hugged his arms tight around himself. “What happens when Steve chooses _for_ us who to tell?”

“Wanda didn’t say anything.”

There was silence at that. No matter how many times Wanda proved herself trustworthy, Peter could never completely rid himself of his paranoia. There were times that it seemed like he was convinced that Wanda had told someone. There were other times that Wade would have to talk Peter out of stopping Wanda from leaving to get supplies. Peter would eventually rationalize the situation, but that didn’t stop his fears from trying to regularly drown him.

“I dunno, Pete. Maybe it’s a good thing. One person at a time until everyone realizes how amazing they are and everyone wants to keep them safe.”

“And a whole group of supers ready to subdue them for any rebellious activities during their teen years.”

“That’s very negatively forward thinking.”

“We have to assume—”

“It’s impossible to prepare for everything. There are so many damn loopholes, it’s crazy. Just look what happened with Steve! I mean, we can hire a psychic if you want to. I know of some pretty good clairvoyants.”

“I just… I don’t know what the best thing to do is.”

“The burden of every parent.”

Peter seemed to be mulling over his answer prior to being distracted. He stood up straight and focused on what was happening below. Wade checked the time. It was enough to weaken the webbing, but definitely not long enough for a good dissolving rate.

“What’s happening?”

“Basically, they’re making a perforated line along the thinnest parts, taking hold of either side, and trying to rip it off that way.”

“Is it working?”

“By the time they finish, it will.”

Wade stood up and stretched. “Wanna head back down, then?”

Peter turned to look over his shoulder at Wade, a little smile playing at his lips, doing its best to wash away the anxious frown lines. “I thought I’d just drop down from above.”

Wade gasped and clapped his hands together in excitement. “A superhero landing?”

“Wanna watch?”

“Yes, please! Your landings are the best!”

A short chuckle escaped from Peter. “I’ll make sure it’s extra acrobatic.”

“Yay!” Wade all but tackled his boyfriend in a hug, one leg poised in the air for emphasis. One of Peter’s arms slid around Wade and made sure they were snuggled close together.

They both watched as the kids struggled time and time again until the webbing weakened enough for their plan to work. Jess and Astor even managed to get Bren to stop being annoying and help out. When the webbing pulled free enough for movement, Steve managed to help fight his way to freedom.

Bits of webbing still clung to him, but he was able to move freely once more. He sat up and pushed away from the pile of broken cocoon. The kids followed after. They were checking him over, trying to pull off the patches of webbing, or pestering him to play. Someone tossed one of the titanium miniature animals that Magneto had made for them in Steve’s general direction.

Poor Steve just stared at them all in shock. They were expecting praise from him, and Wade wondered how they would react when they didn’t receive it. However, much to the parent’s shock, when Jess held her legs out to him, he slowly held his arm out in return. She ran her palps along his fingers, exploring and scenting the new person.

Peter stepped forward and flipped over the balcony in such a way that Wade got a nice eyeful of ass. He sighed dreamily. The superhero landing was quite flawless and the kids eagerly ran over to Peter, excited about his flashy entrance. He took great care in making sure to praise each and every one of them for a job well done, even if they hadn’t spent much time on the project of Help Free Steve.

“You knew they would do that…” Steve said, still stunned.

“No, I didn’t. They would either ignore you, try to play with you, or assume you were the unfortunate victim of Nick and company. Jess and Astor surprised me when they came up with such a solid plan.”

Peter walked over so he could sit down by Trent and the two girls. They eagerly crawled into his lap, happy to be showered with praise over a job well done. They had definitely gone above and beyond with their problem solving skills and stubbornness to complete the task. They got that from their father.

“And Nick… does this often?” Steve guessed.

“Their webbing doesn’t work like mine. That doesn’t stop them from learning and playing. They used to practice hunting skills out of necessity. I couldn’t produce food for them fast enough. When that no longer became an issue, they turned those skills into a game. I didn’t discourage it, and when it was only Wade here, it didn’t much matter if they webbed him up and dragged him to me.

“It started out as a desire to receive my attention and affection. I had so little time to spend with each of them alone. It has grown into a sort of competition. Nick challenges every person he meets. He doesn’t understand why that would scare anyone.”

Peter made eye contact with Steve, willing the elder to understand. “None of them understand why they would be seen as something fearful. I have never given them reason to believe that they are anything beyond normal.”

Bren rolled one of the honeycomb rubber balls up to Steve and then excitedly jittered his legs, waiting for Steve to roll it back.

“I don’t want to introduce them to a world of hate. I want to keep them happy for as long as possible. To them, you, Wade, Wanda, and Vision are the ones who are different. You are the ones with the handicap that doesn’t give you the ability to shift or the strength that comes with those powers. You can’t stick to walls or feel vibrations or sense the subtle changes in the weather.”

Jess crawled over and into Steve’s lap. He hesitantly placed his hands on her and she happily settled down under that warm weight. She had worked hard, and now she wanted attention and rest as her reward.

“And even though _you_ are the one who is different, they accommodate you. They don’t fear or shun you. They just want to do what they can to stay in your presence. What exactly does that say about them in comparison to us?”

Steve closed his eyes, his hands never moving from where they were keeping Jess warm. “I’m sorry, Peter…” Steve whispered.

From his position above them, Wade smiled proudly. His Baby Boy had successfully gotten through. And if there was anyone that you wanted on your side, it was Captain fuckin’ America.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of new baby names this chapter! \o/
> 
> Angry Peter was SO fun to write, guys. XD
> 
> Prooooooobably gonna time jump next chapter to keep the flow going. Updates might be a little slow due to me working on some other short fics, but not, like, 2 months slow. eheh
> 
> I have no intention of making Steve perfect in this scenario, but I do want him to be on Team Spider Babies. He won't be staying at the manor house, but there will be visits in the future. <3
> 
> Also, boy do I love discussion on the human condition, let me tell you. @.@ This fic is so indulgent. lulz
> 
> So is the Haikyuu fic I'm posting. If you're in that fandom, feel free to check that out:  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/11787069/chapters/26580840


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time jump! Also, I took some liberties with this chapter. More info at the bottom.

There was a time, in the past, that Spider-man had been called in to help with a riot. It had taken most of the night to help aid the police and a few other superheroes that had been helping out. The biggest issue was just not causing harm to any of the mindless and enraged civilians. Without the ability to physically knock someone out of a fight, Spider-man had to resort to webbing people up and then either re-webbing them after so much time had passed or moving them away from the fray entirely.

He had gone through no less than six canisters of webbing that night. Save for a few very special fights, it was the most exhausted he had ever been, mind, body, and soul. The cops had even taken pity on poor Spider-man and pitched in to buy him a gift certificate to IHOP.

The point is, that the riot experience was nothing compared to child wrangling 36 five year olds on a daily basis.

Peter ran into the great room in time to catch Bren and spin around to kill the momentum before setting him back on his feet. “Li! How many times have I told you not to throw your siblings?”

Li stomped her foot, face beat red in anger. “He’s stupid!”

“I’m gonna kill Wade for teaching you that word,” Peter muttered under his breath. The kids’ hearing were all up to the task of hearing muttered words, but one couldn’t hear anything over the constant din of screaming.

Peter couldn’t really tell who was fighting and who was playing, so he just shouted a generalized “No fighting!” for good measure.

“Daaaddyyyy!” Bren cried and tugged at Peter’s pant leg. Crocodile tears, Peter knew, but it was just easier to pick him up anyways. He sent Bren on his hip as he walked further into the room, snatching kids up and dropping them out of the way when they came too close to hitting one another in their flailing.

Li stomped her foot again, glaring at Peter, and giving a shout of disgust over him coddling Bren. Peter sighed. “Li, we talked about this.”

“Don’t let him be stupid!” Li snapped.

“Bren is not stupid.”

“Yes, he is!”

“No, no, Li-Li!” Wade declared as he ran up behind her and scooped her up. “You’re just smarter than everyone!”

Li’s attitude brightened a little, preening under the praises. “Hi, momma!”

“Maybe you could try _teaching_ them, since you’re so smart,” Peter offered as he snached a toy being used as a bludgeon from Blake’s hands.

Li crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. “Can’t. They’re too stupid.”

“Don’t be mean to your siblings,” Peter said over Bren’s renewed wailing.

Wade sighed dramatically. “What happens when you’re smarter than _me_?”

Li giggled at him. “It’s okay, momma. You’re smart.”

“I’m smart! A Li-Li seal of approval!” Wade started kissing all over her face and Li shrieked with laughter. Wade stuck his foot out to trip Nick just before he could take a running leap to pounce Astor.

Peter sighed and walked over to nab Nick and then web him to a wall. Nick flailed and cried one of the only words he used consistently, “Noooooo!”

“I told you no more attacking!” Peter scolded. “You’re in time out!”

“No no no no NO!”

“Yes yes yes yes _yes_ ,” Peter mimicked.

“Peter, Wade,” Vision’s calm voice somehow drifted over the cacophony. Peter turned around to see him floating a few feet from the ground with no less than six kids attached to him in various forms, enjoying the ride. “We received word from Steve.”

“Oh? Is he dropping by?”

“He wishes to visit tomorrow. He says there is something of importance that he needs to discuss with you. It seems to be time sensitive.”

Peter sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “What now?”

“Don’t fret, Petey,” Deadpool grinned as he walked over and dropped a kiss on Peter’s lips. “I’m sure he’s just keeping us updated on Tony’s shenanigans.”

“I’m about tired of Tony’s shenanigans…” Peter complained. “Hey! Blake! I’m watching you! Put the the bunny down.” Blake dropped the titanium rabbit and ran like that would somehow help him escape punishment for trying to throw it at his sister. “Jess! Stop stealing Blake’s toys and maybe he’ll stop trying to beat you with them.” Jess did her best to look shocked and innocent.

“Ah, speaking of Tony,” Vision continued. “It seems Clint has started spying once more. The cameras pinged a foot in the trees.”

“Must be trying to see something during Cap’s visit.” Wade shrugged. “It’s no big deal. They’re just going through the motions.”

The year prior, Peter had agreed to work with Tony to buy out Parker Industries. Tony would keep an eye on the company in Peter’s stead, and would keep Peter informed of any pertinent information. It was a peacekeeping measure between them. Showing that Peter _did_ trust Tony, and just wanted Tony to trust that Peter had a good reason for holding his silence.

Still, Tony was bitter that Steve was in on the secret and had thus far not spoken of it (much to Peter’s surprise, frankly). Most of the time, Tony was agreeable, calm, and professional, as much as the man could be. Other times, Tony would be under a lot of stress and project that towards spying on Peter again. Peter would do his best to hold onto his anger and eventually Tony would feel guilty and withdraw. It was just how they dysfunctionally functioned at this point.

“Well… we’ll deal with it tomorrow.” Peter shoved aside his miffed emotions on the matter. He had kids to deal with at the moment.

Mei walked up to Peter, confident and sure of herself. A group of kids huddled together some distance behind her, watching closely. For whatever reason, Mei had taken on a leadership role in the eyes of quite a few of the other kids. She stood in front of Peter, pointed at the ceiling, and politely asked, “Swing?”

Peter smirked. “Alright. I’ll make some swings.”

Mei gave him a happy grin and turned around to nod at the others, causing a lot of excited motions among them. Mei didn’t have the vocabulary that Li did, but she used her words with care, to make sure their meaning was clear. It was the same way she used language in her spider form, which she stayed in most of the time.

Peter got to work with his webshooters, building numerous types of swings and ropes for the kids to play on. Bren clung to his neck and just watched. Mei supervised the mass of kids swarming the swings to make sure they weren’t fighting. Peter was secretly grateful when she did stuff like that.

“Just another day in paradise, yeah?” Wade grinned.

It pulled a soft but exasperated smile to Peter’s face. “Yeah.”

 

~*~

 

When the kids saw Steve walking across the lawn with a large box tucked under his arm, they absolutely _swarmed_ him. He laughed as he dodged a few attempts they made at stealing it from him, scolding them for trying to take it all and not share. The more he talked and the more they gathered, the more they shifted into human form in order to partake in the treats Steve always brought with him.

Even the kids that refused to shift for Peter and Wade, would shift for Steve. It left Peter scowling at Steve. It was irrational to feel jealous about it, but his parental pride didn’t really care. “Saltwater _fucking_ taffy. Only Steve would think to feed a kid nowadays saltwater _fucking_ taffy.”

By his side, Wade chuckled. They were at a distance from Steve and the kids, mostly so Peter could glare and mutter obscenities to his heart’s content. He wouldn’t be able to face Steve if he didn’t get it out of his system first.

Steve opened the box and started handing them out to the kids. They were wide eyed and focused as they chewed, sucked on, and licked the little strips of taffy. Peter was still baffled as to why that was the candy of choice when everything else they had tried, the kids had hated. Wade thought it was because of the mild flavoring and the high salt content. Perhaps they were just sensitive to sugar and artificial flavoring considering their previous diet.

Though Peter could accept that reasoning, it didn’t cause him to glare any less.

Wade wrapped his arm around Peter’s waist and pulled them close together, hip to hip. He nuzzled his face into Peter’s neck and hummed at the familiar smell. Peter didn’t uncross his arms or stop glaring at Steve, but he tilted his head enough to give Wade room. No matter how upset or angry he was, he just couldn’t deny Wade, and didn’t want to. Having Wade by his side was grounding.

“You’re so cute when you’re salty,” Wade said.

“Ass.”

Wade slid his hand down to grab a large handful of Peter’s ass. “Mm, you’re ass is cute, too, yes.”

Peter had to fight off a smile. “I only have so long to be angry before I have to be nice. Don’t ruin my moment.”

Lips started mouthing along the side of Peter’s neck. “Mmm… I’d like to have a _moment_ with you.”

Trying harder to fight off a smile, Peter shoved his shoulder into Wade to try and create space. He didn’t try very hard and Wade didn’t take the hint. Peter pretended to be exasperated.

“Steve!” One of the kids said the name loud enough for them to hear. Steve turned to give a smile at whoever said it. It was _that_ smile. The one you gave to people to be polite when you were really thinking about something else.

“Very good! You remembered my name!” Steve’s voice was slow and enunciated and coddling. It grated on Peter’s nerves. He talked down to them like that a lot, and for whatever reason, Steve didn’t even notice he was doing it.

“That’s just what people do to five year olds.” Wade’s voice was soothing, catching onto Peter’s annoyance.

“I wish I could believe he does that just because of their age.”

“Li-Li will put him in his place one day.”

“Li thinks he’s an idiot with candy that she can manipulate treats out of if she says what he wants to hear.”

“Are you saying she’s not right?”

Peter choked on a laugh.

Eventually, Steve ran out of taffy and managed to pull himself away from the swarm of kids to walk over to where the parents stood. Peter put in his best polite smile as Wade held out his arms to Li. He spoiled her too much, but they were too cute together for Peter to complain. She sat quietly in his arms as she chewed the last bits of her taffy.

“Is everything okay?” Peter asked.

“If it’s Tony you’re worried about, don’t be. He’s having issues with the government trying to ground his suits and surveillance, so he’s bored. That’s why he’s back to spying. Though he calls it ‘securing the area.’”

Peter rolled his eyes and Steve chuckled a bit. Wade noticed the folder Steve was carrying. He wasn’t allowed to bring in any tech since he wasn’t as savvy at preventing Tony from sneaking something inside as Wanda was. However, he could bring in anything manual like printouts or notebooks. One could tell Steve secretly enjoyed that part, since he still had a soft spot for old school methods.

“You said you needed to talk to us about something?” Wade asked.

“Ah… Yes…” Steve looked uncertain, and that was never a good sign. “Can we have a moment alone to go over it?”

Peter didn’t like the sound of that. They made their way inside, informing Loki and Vision that they would be unavailable for a time. Loki, with a look of utter annoyance, just made another copy of himself and headed outside to watch the kids. Wade set Li down and encouraged her to go play with the others.

Once they were closed off inside an office to themselves and seated, Steve handed the file to Wade. It took all of three seconds for Wade to stop breathing after looking at it, and Peter tried not to panic. He flicked his eyes between the two of them.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s about Eleanor,” Steve explained. “She’s not hurt and there’s been no suspicious activity thus far, but…”

“Her powers surfaced…” Wade muttered, looking over the paperwork. It must have contained information about Ellie’s newfound abilities.

Peter knew that during the times Wade had teleported around the globe, he had occasionally dropped in to check on Ellie. Since the letters had started, Wade had joined in every once in awhile with one for Ellie. Peter often felt guilty about how much time Wade was giving to Peter instead of Ellie, but Wade was quick to reassure.

He always said that the less contact, the safer, due to his enemies. He didn’t want anyone knowing that Ellie existed. He also had a fear that his influence wouldn’t benefit Ellie in any way. Peter always argued that one.

“The Prestons don’t want to stop watching over Eleanor, but unfortunately, her powers are particularly noticeable. We have a few options as to what to do next, but I thought it fair for you to have your input.” Steve leaned forward on his knees, studying the unusually quiet Wade.

“She can blind people?” Wade asked, voice soft and body still.

“It’s temporary,” Steve explained. “And from what I understand, it’s something more than that. It was described as warping the visual spectrum of the area around her. So, people looking into that area would unable to see what was happening, as well as those caught in the radius of her power’s influence. The problem is, that the radius is quite large, and she’s unable to control it.”

“Most mutants can’t control their powers at first,” Peter said.

“And the intensity of them is stronger when they first surface,” Steve agreed. He had been doing his homework on mutants over the years. “Which is why so many of them are moved into an environment with others who can aid them in learning control. The Avengers have somewhat of a relationship with the X-men now—”

“No,” Wade cut Steve off, voice firm. “I don’t want baldie anywhere near Ellie’s mind.”

“Professor Xavier has long helped raise and educate mutant youth—” Steve tried again, to no avail.

“I said no. There’s shit going down with the X-men lately, and I want her far away from it.”

“There are other options,” Steve conceded. “Peter’s charity, for example. Tony’s taken it over, so we can work together on a plan—”

“I’m not entrusting the secret location of my kid to a man none of us trust as it is.”

Steve sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Then what do you want to do?”

Peter’s stomach dropped. He knew exactly what Wade wanted to do. Ellie’s powers were noticeable, and noticeable was _bad_ for a mutant. Wade would want to do whatever he could to keep her out of sight until he was absolutely sure it was safe.

Which meant, of course, that Wade would want to be with Ellie personally. Whether that meant for a few weeks or a few years, it was hard to say. Either way, Wade hadn’t been away from Peter’s side for more than a few hours at a time in nearly five years. Peter refused to be selfish enough to tell Wade not to go to Ellie, but the overwhelming panic of being abandoned was hard to ignore.

It was suddenly very hard to breathe.

How was he supposed to handle things on his own? He relied too much on Wade’s assistance. They had a routine, a schedule, and the kids had never been apart from him. What if Peter had a panic attack? What if there was an argument with the others? What if Tony did something stupid? What if Steve did? What if—

“Peter!”

Peter jerked back to reality to find Wade kneeling between his legs, hands to either side of his face. He was being instructed to breathe slowly and evenly. Peter’s hands gripped his knees tight as guilt washed over him. He hadn’t meant to freak out like that. He didn’t want to manipulate Wade’s decision.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Wade soothed. “I’m not gonna leave.”

That felt like a slap in the face. Peter pushed Wade’s hands away from him. “Of course you have to leave! She’s your daughter!”

Wade caught Peter’s hands and squeezed. “She is.”

“So don’t pretend you don’t care about her safety!”

“I do care! But I also care about _you_ and thirty-six others, maybe thirty-seven when Loki isn’t being an ass.”

Peter couldn’t tell if he wanted to laugh or cry. “I don’t want you to have to choose between us. That’s not fair.”

“I’m not! I promise. Peter… We’ve been talking about socialization for a long time, but we’ve done little to follow through on that…”

“Wait!” Steve jumped in. “You can’t mean to bring her here.”

“It’s up to her,” Wade answered, his eyes not leaving Peter’s. “I’ll talk to her about it, and we’ll come to a decision. There’s no safer place than here.”

“Wade, no.” Steve’s voice was firm and somewhat panicked. “She didn’t inherit any of your other abilities. The kids are too young to understand how they could unintentionally hurt her. You need to consider how dangerous that decision can be.”

“Ellie never felt safe after the kidnapping incident, and has always wanted to be self reliant,” Wade told Peter, still ignoring Steve. “I’ve been teaching her self defense since she was little. She can do this.”

“These are superhuman children we’re talking about,” Steve argued. “Normal self defense isn’t going to work. Not to mention, how will they react if Eleanor loses control of her powers once more?”

As much as Steve didn’t fully understand the kids, those points weren’t entirely invalid. One angrily thrown toy in the wrong direction could lead to a concussion or worse. At the same time, if they kids never learned how to interact, they would always be seen as dangerous by the outside world.

“What if she doesn’t want to come here?” Peter asked.

“That’s her decision. We’ll figure something out,” Wade assured. “But it’s not like she has to stay forever, just long enough to learn control. A year or two of spending time with her dad, and then going back to the Preston’s.”

“What about her education?” Steve argued.

“We can homeschool,” Wade continued to answer to Peter, even though they were Steve’s concerns. “You’re the smartest person on the planet. She couldn’t find a better tutor than you.”

“You’ve been thinking about this.” It finally occurred to Peter that Wade’s answers were far too coherent. Wade was prepared for this inevitability.

“I like having a family with you, Peter.” Wade smiled in that way that was reserved for only Peter — soft and gentle and full of love. “I want a future together, and that includes Ellie. I want you to be a part of her life because you’re always going to be a part of mine.”

What else could Peter say to that? “Okay…”

Wade smiled and kissed Peter, again and again, until Peter gave a small smile in return. “I’ll only be gone for a day. Two at most. I promise.”

Peter’s grip tightened around Wade’s hands. “Okay.”

“No power in heaven or hell could keep me away from you.”

A reluctant smile pulled at Peter’s lips. “I believe you.”

“Besides, there is no possible way I could face my greatest fear without you.”

Peter raised an eyebrow. “And what is that?”

Wade stage whispered, “ _Teenagers_.”

A short laugh was forced from Peter and Wade finally stood up, turning to look at Steve. “Alright, let’s go over details and a backup plan. I’ll teleport directly to her tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

 

~*~

 

Clint was relaxing in a tree and watching the secret entrance into the dome when Steve exited, Deadpool at his side. The two of them looked disgruntled with one another, but they didn’t speak. They never spoke outside of the safety of the dome in case they were overheard.

Steve gave a short wave and headed off to the private jet that had brought him there. Clint noted that Steve was empty handed. He always brought a box of taffy with him and claimed it was polite to bring a gift when visiting someone’s home. Clint just thought it was weird.

Deadpool walked around the area stabbing the new cameras that had been hidden in the treeline. It didn’t matter. Those had been purposefully set up as decoys to they wouldn’t know that Tony and Clint were aware of the actual underground entrance into the dome. Clint was outfitted with enhanced optics and hearing aids so he could see, hear, and record what happened when people entered or exited the place.

When Deadpool was satisfied with clearing the area of unwanted surveillance, he headed back inside. That was always the extent of what happened. Clint was bored out of his mind. If it weren’t for the fact that he was still recovering after a previous mission, and Tony was doing him a favor for this, he’d have stopped a long time ago. There was really nothing new to be learned.

But Tony being in a bad mood made staying at the Tower a pain in the ass. In fact, staying anywhere within flying distance of Tony when he was bored was a bad idea. So Clint being “on the job” at least gave him some peace. Natasha wasn’t faring so well and she constantly sent angry texts to Clint about being left alone with Bored Tony. Those entertained Clint.

Before the hatch to the secret entrance fully submerged back into the ground, something darted out. Clint sat forward abruptly, focusing on what it might be. Whatever it was, it was fast — a blur of speed that shot to the nearest tree and climbed it. The hatch stuttered and reopened, Deadpool scrambling out after it.

The thing in the tree stopped moving, and Clint was finally able to focus the equipment to see what it was. He gaped. It was a child. A little boy, and naked to boot. The kid was very carefully untangling an elaborate [flower](https://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/p%20-%20r/images/passiflora_loefgreni.jpg) that was attached to the tree.

“Nick!” Deadpool shouted at he ran up to said tree. He ripped his mask off and tucked it into his belt. “You get down here right now!”

Nick just ignored Wade and continued on his task, face screwed up in concentration until he was able to pull the flower free with minimal damage to the base of it.

“Don’t make me climb up there!”

“No!” Nick announced, though he spoke it in a way that suggested he was using the word as a catch-all replacement for a vocabulary he didn’t have.

Wade held his arms out, making a beckoning motion. With a wide grin, Nick leaped into the air, falling into Wade’s arms. He was instantly scolded, but Nick didn’t seem to pay attention to any of it. He held up his flower triumphantly, surprising Wade into silence.

“Dah-dee!”

“Were you picking a flower for your daddy?” Wade’s face softened in a split second. Nick gave a fiercely proud grin. “He’ll probably love it enough to forgive you for that spectacular escape you just managed, ya trouble maker. Where were hiding that whole time?”

Nick didn’t answer, just hummed happily as he inspected his prize. The two of them headed back inside, the hatch closing completely that time, without further incident. Clint sat back against the tree once more and huffed a breath of surprise. The last thing he had expected to see run out of that fortress of theirs was a child of such a young age.

 _Tony’s gonna shit a brick,_ Clint thought to himself as he pulled out his phone.

+Barton: I’m headed back. I have some video you should see.

 

~*~

 

Tony watched the video again. It had been playing on loop and he had long ago lost track of how many times he had seen it. Hovering next to the video was a still frame of the child’s face. Beside that was a school picture he had lifted from Peter Parker’s elementary school. Kindergarten Peter Parker and the child in Deadpool’s arms were the spitting image of each other.

FRIDAY had already run a face analysis on the photos to prove there were just enough similarities and differences to make it a high chance that they were blood related. Add to that, the child announcing that he had picked the flower for his father.

The most significant piece of information was the frame by frame analysis of the child climbing the tree. He hadn’t found any hand or footholds to accomplish that feat. No, he had just placed them flat against the surface of the trunk and propelled himself upwards. Just like a certain missing superhero had once been able to do.

Tony sighed and leaned back in his seat to stare at the ceiling. Well, it solved one mystery: Why Deadpool had been going around buying baby supplies and asking random parents for advice all those years ago. There really had been a kid.

A kid locked up in a cage with at least four powerful superhumans.

Spider-man’s powers were extensive, but they weren’t overly dangerous. Even if his child inherited the same abilities, it wouldn’t prompt them moving to the middle of nowhere and terrified of speaking to anyone. There was something more to it.

Steve’s entrance into the dome — which he _claimed_ had been an accident — happened after he started advocating for mutant rights. Tony was aware that Natasha had given Steve information on Man-Spider. Peter and his child didn’t look like giant half-spider creatures, but that didn’t mean it was always like that. Perhaps it happened at random. That would definitely be something that would prompt Peter’s need to hide. Not only to protect himself and his child, but those around them.

What Tony couldn’t understand was why Peter hadn’t gone to Tony for help. If that was really the case, Tony could have worked to find a cure for it. There were multiple options, and he had access to a lot of gene suppressant therapy trials. In fact, he even had access to some of the now illegal mutant gene suppressants. Nobody knew that, but Tony could easily manufacture enough for just Peter and his son to fix the problem.

So that left Tony wondering why hiding in Brazil for half a decade was better than asking him for help. There was either more to the story, or everyone really did think that little of him. He couldn’t decide if he should be angry, depressed, or annoyed at himself for assuming the worst.

“Friday…”

“Yes, sir?”

“Am I an ass?”

“Would you like me to attempt a quantifiable answer based on your previous interactions with others throughout your history?”

“…No.”

“Then perhaps you would like to ask Mr. Rogers’ opinion.”

Tony furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“He is in your workshop as well, sir.”

Tony sat up in a flurry of limbs. On the other side of his hologram displays was Steve, staring at the looping video with a face of deep disapproval. Tony waved his hand and shut down the visuals. They stared at each other.

“I would say yes, invasion of privacy makes you an ass.”

Tony was immediately indignant. “You have no right—”

“I do. Once I determined that Peter was safe, I backed off. My entrance into the compound was by accident and I have respected his wish for privacy ever since. I can’t say the same for you.”

“This isn’t just about Peter!” Tony threw his hands in the air. “There’s a kid involved!”

“Leave it alone, Tony.”

“Is he dangerous? Is that the problem?”

“Leave it _alone_ , Tony.”

“I could help. You _know_ I could help.”

“This is Peter’s decision.”

“And it’s a dumb decision! Why are you going along with something that is obviously harmful to his life? Being a hermit is not _him_ and it’s not _healthy_. Wasn’t that your argument to Bruce?”

“This isn’t the same.”

“How is it not? We have a contingency plan for Bruce, just in case, but we still _trust_ him. We _help_ him. We make sure he has a life where he can live as normally as possible. I dare you to tell me that living like this has been beneficial to Peter’s mental health. Go on! Tell me how stable he is!”

Steve looked uncomfortable and stayed silent. Tony stuck his nose in the air in triumph. “My point exactly! You can’t tell me that you’re happy with him living out there like that in a constant state of panic and whatever else is happening.”

“What happens when whatever you think you can do to help, doesn’t actually fix the problem?”

“Then I keep trying! I’m not just going to give up on him.”

“That’s not what I mean. What if there is no solution?”

“So he just lives out there for the rest of his life and that kid never gets to interact with the rest of the world? In ten years, a superhuman teenager isn’t going to try to escape after proving that he is already capable of doing so? He’s just gonna happily accept a life of lonely celibacy? Look, I remember my teen years. That ain’t gonna happen.”

“Why are you obsessing over what might happen ten years from now?” Steve paced away, his face betraying his conflicting thoughts.

“Why are you not?” Tony stood up, bracing his hands on his worktable. “Time isn’t magically suspended for them. If you and Peter refuse to think about anything but the here and now, then someone needs to think about inevitable possibilities to come. We can’t wait to be surprised by them. We need to start formulating a plan of action.”

“You’re talking about a child!” Steve whirled around, obviously frustrated with the facts Tony was forcibly revealing.

“Kids don’t stay kids forever! That’s not how it works! If you want to force me into the role of bad guy for being practical, then so be it! Someone has to think about this logically.”

“If you assume someone is going to turn out evil, then they will.”

“This isn’t about morals!” Tony scoffed and started pacing. “How easy will it be to manipulate a kid that has no understanding of the world? Even if that doesn’t happen, accidents _will._ Assuming the kid grows up to be the epitome of all that is good in the world, that’s not going to banish his curiosity or his desire to meet and/or help others. All it takes is one jump scare for someone to get hurt, and how much guilt is the poor kid going to drown in over that?”

“Then what exactly are you suggesting?”

“I don’t know! I need more data!” Tony walked over to face off with Steve. “I didn’t build giant containment devices for Hulk because I thought he was evil or because I didn’t trust Bruce. I built them because I don’t want to see Bruce crawl inside his own head after accidentally hurting someone.

“Peter isn’t hiding out for no reason. If he thinks he is a threat to the safety of others, then I can help with that! If he thinks that his son’s inability to control himself is a threat to himself _and_ others, then I can help with that!”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“No shit.” Tony crossed his arms. They stared each other down for a long while, both considering the points they had made. “Am I really that untrustworthy?”

“Tony… Don’t do that. It’s not about that.”

“I want to talk to Peter.”

Steve’s jaw tensed as he made a valiant attempt to control his expression. “And if he doesn’t want to talk to you?”

“Convince him otherwise.”

Steve sighed. “This may not go how you think it will. Can you guarantee your acceptance of the situation, no matter what you find out?”

“My closest friends consist of a cryogenic time traveler, a person who turns into a giant green rage monster, an android I accidentally gave sentience to via my personal computer assistant, two trained spy-assassins, and a man working for a government that hates me in a suit I built and upgrade for him regularly. What more do you want from me?”

Steve groaned in defeat and dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. “I’ll talk to Peter. In the meantime, you need to stock up on saltwater taffy. The old fashioned kind. Don’t skimp out.”

“ _What_?”

Steve waved off the question and started walking towards the door. “It’ll make sense later, assuming I can get anywhere with Peter. Please be prepared for my defeat.”

“I won’t take no for an answer!” Tony called after Steve.

“Neither will he!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In one of the future comics (which is now labeled an alternate earth), Ellie’s powers were revealed. But I didn’t like those powers and I needed a specific catalyst of my own. So! Ellie’s powers are completely made up by me. Suck it, Marvel! But that was the divergence in canon that I'm taking liberties on, fyi.
> 
> Tony _thinks_ he made headway here… He did not. XD But we’ll get into that next chapter. I swear, they're both so stubborn. Like father, like son, amirite??? ~~Stahp, this is not superfamily.~~
> 
> More arguments to come next chapter! lol
> 
> I hope you enjoyed seeing the kids acting crazy. They're fun to write. Also, I've been sitting on the scene of Nick sneaking out to pick a flower for his dad for soooo loooong and the scene ended up soooo shooort. @.@ lol Also the saltwater taffy scene has been a long time in coming. It was nice to finally get those scenes down after so much time. hehe
> 
> The flower is a Passion Flower or [Passiflora](https://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/p%20-%20r/images/passiflora_loefgreni.jpg). There are many types, but I looked up one common to Brazil.
> 
> Are you guys looking forward to Ellie? I sure am!


	19. Chapter 19

That first day without Wade was hard. He didn’t leave until after breakfast, one of the worst times of the day, but his absence was immediately noticeable. They had a routine, a system, and without Wade there, all the tasks felt infinitely harder. Loki made more copies of himself than normal, but even he seemed to be stretched thin.

By the afternoon, the kids were practically unmanageable. They were running around all over the place and Li wouldn’t stop crying. Peter had to pick her up and nestle her into his side just to keep her calm. Though she was the first to notice Wade’s absence, she wasn’t the last. One by one, the kids became inconsolable.

Vision, who had been doing his research on child behavior, stated that it was normal. Usually children were younger when they went through the stages of understanding that a person’s absence didn’t mean they were gone forever. However, their only experience with that had been Wanda and Steve. Never had a parental unit been out of sight for more than a few hours.

So when dinner rolled around and Wade still wasn’t there, most of the kids refused to eat. Many of them shifted back to spider form to go eat from the vats instead. Li picked at the food Peter tried to feed her as she clung to him. It was stressful.

More so because Peter could relate. He shouldn’t be acting like it was the end of the world. He should have been giving the kids a lesson on what it meant to leave and come back. He should have been offering promises that Wade would return soon. Except, Peter couldn’t get those words out because his own fear clogged his throat with uncertainty.

The thought of Wade not returning was terrifying and all consuming, as irrational as Peter told himself that it was.

Wade didn’t return that night, but that had been half expected. Peter found that Li’s clinginess was welcome. He didn’t want to be alone either. So he pulled out a pillow and a blanket, setting up a pallet on the floor of the great room.

It had been a long time since all of the kids had slept in one giant pile with Peter, but they did that night. Even Loki joined in his spider form, settling down like a towering wall of protection. He didn’t talk about it, and Peter didn’t say anything. He was just happy not being alone.

Perhaps the co-dependency with Wade was unhealthy, but that was something to contemplate at a later date. The kids needed to come first. The kids always came first.

That night Peter dreamt of Aunt May and Uncle Ben. They were all living in Queens and Peter was struggling to go to highschool, maintain a job, and take care of the kids all at once. Aunt May kept scolding him for having kids so early, but she doted on them all the same. He chased them around the kitchen as they crawled along the ceiling.

It was definitely a dream Wade would enjoy hearing about. Peter would have to tell him about it if—when he came back.

 

~*~

 

Wade kept a grip on Ellie’s shoulder as she swayed after the teleport. She clutched the just-in-case barf bag close to her face as she did her best to breathe evenly. After a few close calls, it seemed like she was in the clear. She let out a long exhale.

“How do you do that all the time?”

“Eh.” Wade shrugged. “You get used to it.”

Ellie looked around the large room they had ported into, her luggage strewn around them from the trip. “It’s so _big_ ,” she said in surprise.

“Yeah, this whole place is gigantic. You can pick another room if you want, but I thought you’d like a room on the top floor because it’s quieter, and they come with their own attached bathrooms and sitting areas.” Wade waved his hand over to the breakfast nook and the computer desk that sat near by. “You can decorate however you want. Tell me what you’d like, and I’ll go get it.”

A knowing smile grew on Ellie’s face. “Thanks, dad. I appreciate it.”

So she was onto how nervous he was. That might not be a good thing. She could use it to manipulate him into doing whatever she wanted. Well, that wasn’t much different than normal, to be honest. So it’d probably be fine.

“So you really live here with Spider-man?” Ellie asked as she started walking around the room to look it over.

“Yep! I’ll bring him up to introduce you in a minute. Just remember: he’s been through a lot and is really paranoid and—”

“It’s not my fault if he’s suspicious of me. Yeah, I remember. You’ve only told me, like, fifteen thousand times, dad.”

Wade smiled as he started taking off his weapons. He’d have to store them away before going down to see Peter and the kids. “I know, I know, sorry… I just want you two to get along, yeah?”

“Parents always want the kids to get along with the new spouse.” Ellie smirked.

“Exactly!” Wade shoved all the weapons he could into an empty drawer of the dresser. “I’ll come back for these. Don’t play with them.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “I’m _thirteen_ , dad. Not a kid.”

Wade clutched his hands to his chest. “I love it when you sass me and call me dad like a real teenager.”

That caused Ellie to laugh before she walked over to hug him. He melted a little over that as well. “I’ve missed you since you’ve been on this secret mission, you know. You’re rarely on the news anymore.”

“I know, Ellie-bellie. I’m sorry I haven’t visited as much either. It’s just really important that I be here.”

Ellie looked up at Wade with hopeful eyes. “Are you really going to let me help out?”

“Trust me, we need all the help we can get.”

“So you’re finally gonna tell me the secret?”

“I wanna do that with Spidey here as well.” Wade stepped back and took firm hold of her upper arms. “Promise me you’ll stay right here in this room until I get back. Don’t even open the door. It’s very, very important.”

“ _Okay_ , dad.”

“Promise,” Wade insisted.

“I promise!” Ellie sighed. “You gotta tell me eventually, you know. I’m a big girl now. I can handle it.” She gave him a _look_. “I’ve been through a lot already throughout my life.”

“I know. I do. Just… Things are a little… _different_.”

“Things are always _different_ when Deadpool is involved,” Ellie sassed.

“Ha! Too true.” Wade rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, I’m gonna go get Spidey. Think about where you wanna put stuff away and how you wanna decorate.”

“Sure.”

Wade made it halfway to the door before turning back around and pointing at Ellie. “I mean it. Stay inside the room until I give the all clear.”

“Okay! I heard you! Stop leaving me in suspense!”

“Alright. I’ll be right back.”

Once out into the relative freedom of the hallway, Wade took a deep breath to calm back down. He was terrified that Ellie was going to have a hard nope to the situation and request to leave. The truth was, he was ecstatic to have her here with them. He wanted her to stay _so badly_ , but even if she wasn’t afraid of what the kids were, she might be practical enough to be concerned about her safety, just like Wanda had been.

Well, there was no point in putting it off any longer. Delaying things wasn’t going to change Ellie’s mind.

Wade went to automatically take off his gloves and mask, but they weren’t there. He’d been in casual clothes to go pick Ellie up. Well, casual other than the weapons. Better safe than sorry, though, considering her powers. When it came to his daughter, Wade didn’t leave things to chance.

Checking the time, Wade noticed it was just after breakfast. Most of the kids would be near the kitchen still, and that was likely where he’d find Peter. So without further delay, Wade headed in that direction, taking the stairs two at a time. He didn’t make it to the kitchen before being plowed over by a swarm of three foot tall spiders.

“Whoa! Guys! Calm down!”

They did not, in fact, calm down. Wade was all but drowning in a pile of bodies demanding his attention. He chatted at them non-stop, hoping it would help. After a long while of constant agitated movement, a few of them started to settle down against him. He did his best to encourage the others to do the same.

“Separation anxiety.” Peter’s voice came from somewhere on the other side of the blanket of furry spider bodies. “They have to get used to us leaving and coming back. Psychological… and all that…”

Wade knew that tone of voice. That was Peter’s I’m-upset-but-I-think-it’s-for-a-stupid-reason-so-I’m-trying-to-hold-it-in voice. It seemed that the pile of spiders weren’t the only ones who had separation anxiety.

“I told you I always come back, Petey,” Wade called through the swarm.

“I know…” Peter whispered it almost too soft to hear.

“You wanna join us on the floor here, Baby Boy?”

“Don’t coddle me, Wade.”

“I’m not coddling. I’m _cuddling_.”

Peter let out an annoyed sighed. Not long after, there were enough spiders dispersed for them to see each other. Wade grinned until Peter reluctantly returned a small smile. It took some effort, but Wade managed to sit up enough to grab Peter and pull him down into a kiss.

“I missed you, too,” Wade said.

Peter pressed their foreheads together. “The kids were impossible, you know.”

“Then I guess I owe you a day off. You can soak in the tub all day.”

A little huff of a laugh escaped Peter. “Careful. I’ll take you up on that.”

“You should. You deserve it.”

When Peter pulled back, the ever present worry was back on his face. “So how did it go?”

“She’s excited! I stayed overnight to help her pack and have one last big breakfast with the Preston’s. I brought her right to the bedroom upstairs that we decided on. I told her to wait for us.”

Peter took a deep breath and it was obvious he was trying to convince himself that trusting a thirteen year old with their secret would be okay. Ellie had the choice to back out if she wanted to, and find somewhere else to go. That meant another person walking around the world who knew about the kids.

Wade wasn’t an idiot. He knew that the only reason Peter had agreed so easily was because he would have been consumed with selfish guilt had he denied Wade’s daughter sanctuary. However, Wade took that for what it was: a sign of trust and love. Peter was overcoming a lot, allowing such a wild card into their lives.

As far as Wade was concerned, Ellie was the Fort Knox of secret keeping when she needed to be. Of course, he was aware that he had a bias.

“We shouldn’t keep her waiting, then.” Peter did his best to smile.

“Easier said than done.” Wade waved at the kids covering him.

It took another thirty minutes before they made it upstairs. All the kids except one were wrangled into the great room and kept there by Loki until they could be introduced to Ellie. The exception was Li, who was still clinging to Wade like she never planned to let go.

Li had a huge role to play. She would be the first to be introduced, as she was the one smart enough to follow directions and communicate with efficiency. A good first impression always helped in such tentative matters. She was back in human form with clothes on to start things off. They explained the situation to her as best they could while they climbed the stairs.

Li was quiet and pouty still after Wade’s extended absence. She seemed to be agreeable to following instructions, though. So that was at least a good sign.

Wade lightly knocked on the door to Ellie’s room prior to opening it. She was in the middle of unpacking, which was a sign to how dedicated she was to staying. Though perhaps she had just gotten bored while left alone. It wasn’t like there was much to do while waiting on them to come upstairs.

By the time the door was closed behind them, Ellie was practically vibrating with excitement. Wade gave her an encouraging smile and waved his hand at Peter. “Ellie, this is Spider-man. You’ve met once before.”

Ellie’s jaw dropped. “You’re Peter Parker, CEO of Parker Industries!”

Peter flinched and Wade winced. He should have warned Ellie to not mention things like that, but it hadn’t occurred to him that she might know who Peter was.

“How…” Peter’s voice was strained.

“You’re all over the news! You just vanished one day and it looked like you bodyguard Spider-man went to find you, but he disappeared, too, and it’s, like, the biggest mystery right now. People have false sightings all the time. But you _are_ Spider-man! That’s so cool!”

Peter blinked. “Ah… Yeah. I am.”

“Dad said that something happened and this is a top secret mission, and I wanna do whatever I can to help. I promise I can help!”

“Oh… Well… Thank you.” It was obvious that Peter was a little baffled at Ellie’s gumption, and Wade was fighting off a smile. It was a little cute, if he were being honest.

Wade cleared his throat and turned so that Ellie could get a better look at Li, who had her face buried in Wade’s shoulder, acting unusually shy around the new person. Ellie sucked in a gasp, her face crumpling into helpless adoration.

“She’s so _cute_!”

“Her name is Li Parker,” Peter introduced.

The information clicked instantly for Ellie, but the knowing look was quickly replaced with a warm smile to Li, who was peeking at Ellie from over Wade’s bicep. “Hello, Li.”

“Li-Li,” Wade said. “This is Ellie. I’m Ellie’s daddy.”

The look Li gave was one of utmost annoyance, like what Wade was saying was a trick that Li could easy see through. “You’re momma,” she muttered.

Ellie struggled to contain a snort of laughter.

“Okay, fine, I’m Ellie’s momma. She’s family, too.”

Li gave Ellie a speculative look, like she was trying to determine how that was possible. “Is Loki family?”

“Uh… Sorta?” Wade looked at Peter for help. Determining the boundaries of family versus not-family hadn’t occurred to him prior to this conversation. It was something they would have to sit down and make a class for at some point.

“Ellie is thinking about living with us,” Peter took over. “So we need you to show her some things. You remember how Wanda isn’t strong, and when she gets hurt, it heals really slow?” Li nodded. “Ellie is like that, too.”

Wade could see Ellie’s mind going a mile a minute, taking in information and trying to solve the puzzle she kept getting pieces to. Li eyed Ellie, thinking about the information she was getting, as well.

“But Ellie doesn’t have Wanda’s red floaty powers,” Wade added.

“And she can’t hover or go through walls like Vision,” Peter said.

Li frowned and looked like she found it all very troubling. “Zee helps Wanda. Ellie need a helper.”

“Who do you think should help her?” Wade asked, hoping to lead Li into offering her services. No such luck.

“Eve,” was Li’s decisive answer. Followed up by, “And Gail.”

“We’ll ask them later, then,” Peter said. “Right now, how about you show Ellie your other forms. She’s only ever seen human forms before.”

Again, Li gave Ellie a look, trying to decide if Ellie was playing dumb, or just massively uninformed.

“She changes forms?” Ellie asked.

“Like a werewolf!” Wade stage whispered.

Peter shot Wade a unamused frown. Wade avoided it by coaxing Li off of him and onto the floor. “You need help with your shirt?”

Li batted Wade’s hands away. “I got it!”

As Li determinately struggled her way out of her clothing on her own, Peter looked over at Ellie. “Just like me, they have super strength, a healing factor, can cling to surfaces, enhanced agility, and… Well, I make my own webbing. Theirs is more… natural…”

“Momma, _stop_!” Li snapped as she kicked the rest of her clothes away.

Wade held up his hands. “Alright, alright! You got it on your own. I get it.”

“Li,” Peter said quietly, the tension in his voice noticeable if one was looking for it. “Show Ellie your halfway form, okay?”

Frankly, Wade would have started full spider form first. The halfway form was hauntingly creepy and it took a long time to get used to the sight of it. It hardly bothered Wade anymore, but seeing it for the first time wasn’t an enjoyable experience for most people — even if that person was the unflappable Ellie.

Ellie’s eyes were riveted to Li as she started growing the extra sets of arms. Peter and Wade both kept a close eye on Ellie’s reactions. Things were tense when Li finally stopped shifting. She stayed where she was, looking bored as he twitched her claws and mandible.

“Okay…” Ellie valiantly managed to keep a neutral expression as she looked at the sight before her. “That’s… Yep. Okay.”

There was an awkward pause from Peter, not knowing how to handle Ellie’s rather calm reaction. After a few moments of considering her, he finally instructed Li to keep going. At the sight of a three foot spider, Ellie took a deep breath and nodded a bit, but didn’t immediately say anything.

“I do this as well,” Peter said. “All of the kids do.”

Ellie’s eyes flicked back and forth a few times before finally settling on Peter. “How many?”

“Thirty-six.”

At that, Ellie’s eyes almost popped out of her head. She took another deep breath and thought through what she now knew. “So… Do spiders have ears?”

Peter was not prepared for that question and faltered. Wade jumped in. “They can hear you, if that’s what you’re askin’, and understand. We also have signs and a spider language we’ve been building for them so they can communicate in these forms.”

“Oh… Cool.”

“Ellie…” Peter’s worried face was back. “As much as I would like to tell you that if you stayed with us, you could do whatever you wanted, I can’t. It’s pure chaos here with this many young children, and we don’t have enough help as it is. I can set up programs for your education and you can work at your pace. I can help you with things you don’t understand, but if I do, it will have to be while I’m supervising the kids. There’s simply not enough time in the day.”

“I get it! I do.” Ellie promised, putting a smile on her face. “I told dad that I was going to help, and I keep my promises.”

“This is a lot to handle for someone so young.”

Wade probably should have mentioned that Ellie _hated_ being told that she was too young to handle or understand things. Her face went hard, the smile taking on a bit of an edge. “It’s a lot to handle for a person of _any_ age.”

“That’s true!” Wade quickly agreed. “Three dozen kids is a lot to handle in any situation, which is why we wanted to make sure you’ll be okay with the… unique circumstances.”

Ellie looked back at Li before crouching down and offering a grin. “You’re very cute.”

Li shuffled forward in that sudden quick movement all the kids did in spider form, and Ellie flinched, but she covered it up immediately by offering her hand. There was another pause before Li, deliberately slow, lifted one leg and tapped it against Ellie’s palm.

“Your hair is prickly.”

In response, Li reached up and ruffled some of the strands in Ellie’s wild and curly hair. Ellie was patient as she allowed Li to do as she pleased. Wade could tell that Ellie was tense and a little uncertain about the proceedings, but she refused to admit it. If Peter noticed, he didn’t mention it.

Li’s interest faded fast, and likely because she was still somewhat miffed at Wade’s absence. She shuffled away and crawled up Wade until he allowed her to cuddle against his chest, like a backpack being worn the wrong way. Ellie stood back up, watching them with a smile.

“If you’re up to it,” Wade said. “We can introduce you to everyone right now.”

“Sure!”

Ellie looked excited and nervous all at once, which caused Peter to look even more apprehensive. Wade decided not to allow them time to think about it, and started shuffling everyone out the door. Peter grabbed Li’s clothes as they went, the frown lines deep between his brows.

They walked down to the second floor first so they could stop at the spot that overlooked the great room. It gave Ellie a chance to view things from a distance before diving into everything. Knowing what was coming and seeing it were two entirely different things.

There was a long and tense silence before Ellie pointed at the towering spider walking among the others. “Who is that?” she whispered.

“Ah… That’s Loki.” Wade rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to explain that part.

Ellie couldn’t seem to decide if she wanted to keep her eyes trained on the sea of spiders below her, or gape at Wade. “As in _Loki_ Loki?”

“It’s a long story. He’s an okay guy.”

“Ellie…”

They both turned to look at Peter, who seemed to be struggling for the right thing to say, parental worry written all over his face. Wade snuck an arm around Peter’s waist, which prompted the man to remember to breathe evenly. Ellie, being the observant girl that she was, picked up on Peter’s distress.

“I was just surprised! It’s fine. I can meet them. I can help out.”

“There’s a lot we should go over first,” Peter fretted. “Maybe we should have discussed the details further—”

“It’s fine,” Wade promised, cutting off Peter’s rambling list of concerns. “Ellie has more experience around kids then we do. She knows everyone’s gonna have their own personality and learning style.”

Ellie nodded quickly in agreement. She was eager to prove to Spider-man that she could be useful as well. That she wasn’t just another scary mutant being hidden away in the middle of nowhere. That instead, she was the person _helping_ said mutants.

Though Wade was aware of Ellie’s motivations, he wasn’t sure what to do about them. Or in fact, if he should do anything at all. Whether her mindset and motivations turned out to be helpful or harmful to herself was unknown. Only time would tell.

“Well, no time like the present!” Wade forced a heavy amount of good cheer into his voice. “Let’s go introduce you to everyone and show you around!”

Ellie’s introduction went well. The kids were excited and responsive to her presence. In return, she was polite and did her best to engage each of them. Her nervousness was obvious. Her body was tense and she flinched often, but always tried to cover it up. The prospect of helping on the secret mission outweighed her misgivings of the situation.

Peter fretted about how much Ellie was obviously pushing herself, but Wade didn’t think there was much they could do about it. Ellie was stubborn, and he believed that stubbornness could turn into acceptance quickly. It was hard not to love the kids, as far as Wade was concerned. Things should work out fine.

They all just needed to stay positive.

 

~*~

 

“He is _not_ coming in here, Steve! The whole fucking point was to keep Tony far away!” Pater raged as he ran around the kitchen, cleaning up after lunch.

Steve bounced a fussy Bren against his hip. “I’m not saying you have to do whatever he tells you, but I’m saying his reaction may not be what you think it is. Tony sees things from a different angle. He could help.”

“No! I don’t want his legion of spying robots invading our home!” Peter slammed down a plate a little too hard, setting Bren off into a series of upset noises. Peter stopped moving and braced his hands against the edge of the sink. “I can’t believe he saw Nick escape in the first place. That’s an invasion of privacy!”

“And his _response_ to that was to ask me to set up a meeting with you two, nothing more.”

“You asked. I said no.”

“He has a point, Peter. Nick escaped, and there’s a chance of that happening in the future. Tony has the ability to help find ways to lower that chance.”

“They’re not prisoners!” Peter slammed his hand on the counter and whirled around. “I have no intention of turning this property into a maximum security containment facility!”

“This is for their protection, too.”

“Oh, like you care!” Peter accused, and only felt marginally guilty for the hurt look that crossed Steve’s face.

Vision interrupted their conversation by floating into the room and stating that he would take over with the dishes. An awkward silence followed with Peter trying to remain indignant, and Steve distracting himself with shushing Bren. Eventually, Vision broke the silence.

“When Mr. Stark was a teenager, he had a bad habit of sneaking out in the middle of the night and getting into trouble. His father would change the codes every night on the doors to keep his son inside. Do you think he was wrong in keeping Mr. Stark confined to the house during those times?”

Peter sighed and refused to answer that, but Steve happily picked up on the lifeline Vision had offered. “Tony didn’t have any special powers other than learning how to override the system. So yeah, things might have to be a little more elaborate in this situation, but that’s something you’ve already done. Other families put up a fence. You put up a dome. It’s the same thing.”

“It’s not,” Peter stubbornly argued.

“How would you know? I don’t know what his thoughts are, and he isn’t going to come up with something before talking to you about it first. He wants to work _with_ you, not control the situation.”

“He always wants to control the situation.”

“Peter… To be completely honest, of the two of you right now, _you_ are the one being the most unreasonable.”

“Don’t.”

“I’m asking you to think about it instead of just immediately dismissing it.”

“Oh, I’ve thought about it a lot.”

“No, you’ve thought about all the things that could go wrong for years. Things are different now, and it’s a different scenario. You have people on your side.”

Vision cut in again. “Miss Eleanor has been here for a month now. Her easy interaction with the children will certainly have an influence on whatever security measures Mr. Stark would propose.”

Steve looked at Vision with such relief over having an ally. Meanwhile, Peter was feeling attacked from both sides. “You really think Tony is just going to suggest changing the locks?”

“I believe Mr. Stark would give the situation a lot of thought and not act upon impulse or fear,” Vision said.

“Tony is nothing _but_ acting on impulse!” Peter all but flailed around in anger.

“Not in this case,” Steve promised. “Just like me, Tony wants to earn your trust. He will control himself and take this slow, with your input in mind. And I swear to you, I will hold him to that.”

“Is nobody thinking of the downsides of this anymore?” Peter snapped.

“There is no perfect scenario,” Steve said. “So I’m looking at this overall. What is the best course of action in the long term? I honestly believe that bringing Tony in _is_ the best path to take at this time.”

Peter opened his mouth to argue, because he was always ready with an argument these days, but before he could speak, the world vanished, and the air was filled with the panicked cries of the kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A cliffhanger?! How dare I!
> 
> Don't worry, I have the next chapter written, I just need to clean it up some, since I wrote most of it while sporting a headache. @.@ I wanted to make sure these chapters came out close to one another _because_ of the cliffhanger. Aren't I nice like that?
> 
> Zomg guys, I was talked into playing Hearthstone and I'm so damn addicted now. I need an intervention.
> 
> Anywho, onto chapter notes!
> 
> Since Wanda started legally bringing in things they needed, Wade’s trips with the teleporter decreased a lot. So the kids rarely saw him leave for more than an hour or two in their recent memory. There are entire children's books dedicated to dealing with learning the concept of parental units leaving and coming back, especially in the long term (like for military parents). The poor kids are totes not used to it, though.
> 
> Peter addresses his co-dependency this chapter, and yes, that's not a healthy relationship status, but it's also inevitable given the situation. Wade didn't bring about the co-dependency through abuse, but circumstances created it. That isn't likely to get better until something changes, though.
> 
> Thus me arguing to bring in Tony, who won't be coddling Peter's issues, and will be the hardass we need! lol Here's to hoping Peter gives in!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to jump back in time just a bit to show what lead up to the cliffhanger.

Even since first meeting her father, and learning what kind of person he truly was, Ellie had always wanted to help him in any way she could. Superheroes went on grand adventures, they saved the world, they kicked butt, and they could do whatever they wanted. It was a lifestyle Ellie had spent a long time envying.

So when her dad had come to her, offering her a part in the secret mission he’d been away on for years, Ellie had seen her opportunity. It was a turning point in her life. Her powers no longer had to be a thing to be feared and hidden. She could learn to use them to the benefit of others, and she could live the life of the carefree, smack talking, butt kicking heroes she loved.

Except, the top secret mission was hopelessly devoid of all the things she wanted. Around a bunch of five year old, he had to watch her mouth. There were no bad guys to beat up on, and barely any time for her dad to teach her new self defense tricks. Her coursework was heavy and challenging, and Peter was a strict teacher.

Most of all, nobody had a clue how to help her learn to control her powers. Wanda did what she could to offer advice, but the practicality of it was difficult when Ellie hadn’t a clue how to even call her powers up to begin with. And even if she did succeed, it would be of little use in her current situation.

Ellie was no immature child, however. She understood the gravity of the situation, and how hard it was to raise so many young kids. So, she tried. She really did. Anything and everything she could do to help, she was there to provide it.

Except, the other kids never listened to her. She barely spoke to her dad more than she had before, it felt like. Peter barely had time to make more than a passing comment on her helping out, as if he didn’t even notice all she was doing. Wanda treated her like a child, and Vision was impossible to try and start a conversation with. And Loki… Well, Ellie didn’t much care for Loki and did her best to avoid him.

After all, Loki was a bad guy, right? Shouldn’t she be kicking the bad guy’s ass? Why was he babysitting in the first place?

She felt… lonely. It seemed odd to say, given how many people lived at the manor house, but that was the reality of it. Despite all the people around her, she felt overlooked and isolated. It seemed silly to complain about such a thing, but it bothered her on a daily basis.

Then, to make life worse, her period happened. It was only her second one, and she was still very uncomfortable about the whole process. Wanda had helped, but Ellie had hated the way she felt talked down to the entire time. The cramps didn’t help her mood.

If all of that hadn’t been mortifying enough, the kids could smell the blood. That first day, they followed her around obsessively, constantly concerned that she was hurt. Multiple times, Peter had been brought to her by his upset kids, and she’d have to watch in mute horror as he attempted to explain menstruation to them.

To say that Ellie was stressed, would have been an understatement. The worst part was, she had nobody to go to. She didn’t know anybody all that well, and the kids were too young to dump her problems on. The only person to go to was her dad, who encouraged her to talk to him about anything, but it wasn’t like he had the time to spare.

Not to mention, she didn’t want him knowing about it. He would immediately jump to the conclusion that perhaps it would make her happier to be somewhere else. That may have been true, but it wasn’t what she wanted. If she gave up now, just because things were a little stressful, what kind of aspiring superhero did that make her?

Things came to a head when Captain America visited. Though he was certainly not her favorite superhero, he was famous enough to leave her a bit star struck. However, the others had swarmed him and his box of terrible candy choices, leaving Ellie with just a brief greeting. She’d hoped for another chance after lunch, but had been immediately shooed out of the kitchen with everyone else because they needed to have an “adult talk.”

Meaning that Ellie was just another one of the kids getting in the way of important matters they believed she had nothing to do with. It pissed her off. She was doing all she could to help out just as much as everyone else, and yet when it came down to it, they refused to treat her as anything other than another troublesome child.

In a huff, Ellie stormed outside, wanting some air and a brisk walk to calm her raging blood, lest she take out her anger on an undeserving kid. The walk didn’t help much, as barely a minute in, her foot sank into a trap, sending her stumbling to her knees, and wrenching her ankle. She hissed and cursed as she pulled it out, wrinkling her nose at the dead-bug-filled webbing now wrapped around her foot.

This was just her luck. As if things couldn’t get any worse. She started yanking at the webbing, trying to dislodge it, but only succeeding in getting it elsewhere. Tears stung her eyes, and that only sent her anger spiking even higher.

It was stupid to cry over it, and she knew that, but for whatever reason, her tear ducts didn’t get the message. She was _mad_ , not some sniveling little girl crying for no reason. It was just another thing her body did to annoy her, like her damn period, and she hated it.

She hated how she had no control over anything, not even her own body, but especially not her own life. It was unfair. It was a cruel cosmic joke. It was just one bullshit thing in her life after another.

 _This_ had been the time it was all supposed to change. The time when things finally started looking up, and she could take control of her future. She had been given a choice about what to do in order to take the reigns, instead of being pulled around by life’s circumstances.

And yet. There she was. Having even less options than she’d had before.

She let out a quick scream of frustration at the webbing covering her foot, and just like that, she couldn’t see.

Panic hit her like a truck.

 

~*~

 

Wade stood still and looked around him in fascination. What he was seeing was hard to describe. It was like a warping of colors, light, and shadow all at once. It swirled around him in a confusing jumble that he couldn’t make sense of or follow. His sense of orientation was fucked, leaving him feeling like he was falling, even though he hadn’t moved.

It took him a long few moments to understand that what he was seeing was likely Ellie’s doing. That meant she’d had another burst of power. And _that_ meant he needed to find her.

He took two steps before promptly running into a wall. Well, there was a problem with the situation, for sure. Finding someone in such a big place while not being able to see wasn’t going to be fun. But at least he still had his ears.

“Marco!”

Wade closed his eyes and listened, hoping to hear a response. In the distance, he could hear the panicked cries and chitters of the other kids. His parental instincts told him to run to check on them, but that wouldn’t be very effective. No, his priority was finding Ellie and figuring out how to stop her out of control ability.

“Ellie? Can you hear me?” Wade called. “I need you to tell me where you are!”

“Momma!”

Wade jumped at the sudden voice near him. “You’re like a ninja.”

“Momma. I help.”

“Mei? Do you know where Ellie is?”

“Ellie sad. Scared. Come.”

A hand slipped inside of Wade’s and tugged him in another direction. Obediently, he followed, taking small steps and flailing his other arm around him. Mei was methodical, however, managing to maneuver them perfectly through the house and outside. Wade could feel the sun warming him, but even when he tilted his closed eyes up to the sky, the shine of light wasn’t there. Weird.

“Ellie is outside?” Wade asked. Last he’d seen her, she’d been helping move the kids out of the kitchen.

“Yes,” Mei said, continuing on her path. “Feel.”

Feel? Wade tried to extrapolate what that meant. Mei’s communication skills were stunted. She only used the words that there was a corresponding sign or spider word for. Proper grammar was not a thing she cared to learn. Interestingly enough, the more Li learned, the more distance the two had, as if their choices in language skills put a wedge between them, though Wade had never personally seen them act ill towards one another.

“What do you feel?”

“Feel. Ground.”

The ground? As in the vibration in the ground? She wasn’t in spider form, but perhaps she was still sensitive enough to pay attention to it. Whatever the case, Wade would just be grateful if they made it to Ellie and he didn’t run into anything else.

He could hear something just barely in the distance that sounded like labored breathing. “Ellie?”

“Dad?!” Her voice was strained and thick, like she was crying. Wade remembered Mei’s comment about Ellie being sad.

“It’s okay, Ellie Bellie. Just stay right there. I’m coming to you.”

“I can’t see! I can’t stop it!” Oh, yeah. She was clearly upset by the sound of the panic in her voice.

“It’s okay! Just stay still. I’ll be right there. Nobody is hurt. It’s just like being in a kaleidoscope. No big deal.”

“How can you say this isn’t a big deal?! I can’t even stand up!”

“There’s nobody but us to see it.”

“What if it doesn’t stop?!”

“It will. You’re not all powerful. If anything, you’ll exhaust your powers eventually. Just take deep breaths.”

“Why does everyone say that?! When does that ever help?!”

“Okay, listen, I know I don’t seem like it, but I know what I’m talking about. I need you to take slow, deep breaths for me.”

Her voice was much closer, so Wade started taking smaller steps in hopes of not accidentally kicking her if he got to close. He could hear her attempts at breathing, and how she stuttered in the inhale, and couldn’t breathe as slow as she wanted. Ellie wasn’t the type of person to have panic attacks, or fully understand what they were, so her inability to control her body was likely increasing her emotional turmoil.

“You’re doing good, Ellie. Just keep trying to breathe. It’s hard for anyone at first.”

A sob reached his ears and it made his chest feel tight. Logically, he knew that once she got used to her powers, her fear of them would lessen a lot. Still, hearing her so upset at the onset of them made him want to magically fix everything, and knowing that he couldn’t left him feeling useless.

“Dad…”

“Shh, it’s okay. I’m almost there.” His flailing hand brushed against something soft and Ellie gasped. “It’s just me! Just me.”

Mei helpfully placed Wade’s hand on Ellie’s shoulder, which allowed Wade to orient himself enough to kneel down and take Ellie into his arms. She went willingly, a fresh bought of sobs racking her frame. He shushed her and soothed a hand up and down her back, rambling anything and everything he could that might help.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Ellie murmured.

“It’s fine. Nobody’s hurt.”

“I scared everyone. I know it. They’ll hate me now.”

“It was surprising, that’s all. In fact, Mei was the one that brought me here. She was worried about you.”

“Mei?”

“Ellie,” Mei announced her presence and then leaned against Wade in order to pat Ellie on the shoulder. “Momma here. No sad.”

That caused Ellie to let out something halfway between a sob and a laugh. “I’m sorry, Mei.”

“No sad. No sad.”

It took another few minutes for Ellie to cry herself out and get her breathing under control. Once Wade had her calmed, her explosion of power tapered off quickly. A few blips later, it was gone, leaving them both sighing with relief. Wade made sure to tack on as many praises as he could at how well she had taken control, even if they both knew it was less about control, and more about emotional chaos.

They hadn’t really had enough time to settle down before a copy of Loki appeared beside them, causing Ellie to jump and Mei to excitedly run over to him. He took no time for pleasantries and went straight to the point. “Whatever she did knocked out my illusions. I’ve put the cover along the perimeter back up, but if anyone was looking, they saw everything inside during the interim.”

Ellie stopped breathing and Wade pulled her tighter against him. “It’s fine. Just an accident. There’s nobody outside the giant metal egg anyways.”

“Peter said Tony had a spy out there!” Ellie immediately protested.

Well, shit. No hiding it from her now.

“If you become too upset again, your power will knock me out of commision once more,” Loki stated in his annoyed and unhelpful tone. “I am already angry that a mortal child was able to overcome my powers.”

“I’m sorry!”

“Shh, shh,” Wade cooed. “Loki’s just an asshole. Ignore him. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Peter’s going to hate me now,” Ellie sobbed.

“Nobody is going to hate you, I promise. We knew what your powers were before you came here, and not having the illusion up on the egg is no different than it was before Loki showed up. Everything is fine. Even if someone was out there, he’d have been distracted by the light show and not seen much else.”

Loki lifted Mei into his arms. “Mei, come help with the others.”

“Yes!” she replied happily and they started walking off, heading inside to restore order to the rest of the kids. Something Wade should also be doing soon.

“Okay! Let’s go inside, too, and make sure everyone knows that you’re not hurt.”

Ellie nodded miserably and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. They were both fully aware that Peter was going to be even less happy than Loki had been, but at least Wade knew that Peter would hold his temper in front of Ellie. Behind closed doors, however, Wade was expecting a full blown panic attack from Peter.

 

~*~

 

Clint gaped at the swirling mass of visuals the dome had become. He instantly hit the button to start recording, but there was no telling if it would be able to accurately tape what was happening. His eyes could barely make sense of it as it was.

It extended a little ways past the metal of the dome, encompassing it all. He wasn’t certain what it was or how it was happening, or even if it was dangerous. The edges of the weird spectacle didn’t seem affected. Everything continued to exist without issue, though birds flying overhead veered away from the odd mass of chaos.

After quite a bit of time, the edges of what could be seen pulsed inward a time or two before the whole swirling mass of colors collapsed, showing an uninterrupted view of inside the dome. Perhaps it was a malfunction with their hologram, though Clint had never seen anything of the sort previously. Such thoughts were set aside as he finally got to observe what was really going on inside the dome.

There was a lot to see. In the distance, near the house, Clint could see people, but everywhere else, it looked like a cotton candy machine had exploded. It look a long moment for Clint to realize that what he was seeing was webbing, and the moving shapes were not random farm animals.

However, before that could be studied any further, the scene was gone, replaced with the serene and empty grass lawn that Clint was always staring at in boredom. He waited, in hopes that whatever had happened would happen again, but it did not.

Sitting back against the tree once more, he sighed and stopped the recording. He had no idea what had caused the failure in their hologram, but it likely wasn’t going to malfunction once more any time soon. Not with genius Peter Parker on the inside. That meant Clint needed to go ahead and send off the data that had been collected. Tony was going to have a field day.

Clint pulled out his phone and moved the clip over to it in order to send it off. Things were definitely about to change for Tony. Whether it was for the better or worse, was yet to be seen.

 

~*~

 

Tony had his phone set to only send him priority notifications from certain people. So when Clint’s message popped up with a, “You’ve gotta see this,” with a file attached, Tony was bolting out of the meeting in no time flat. He’d catch hell from Pepper later, but she was in control of that side of the business anyways. His attendance was mere courtesy.

Locking himself in his lab, he pulled up the data, picked out and enhanced the stills he wanted, and then had them analyzed in under five minutes. His mind was going a mile a minute, coming up with all kinds of theories based on what he knew and the information Friday was feeding him.

Massive ground spider traps, natural webbing coating extensive areas, two three foot tall brown spiders, an out of costume Deadpool wrapped around what looked like a pre-teen girl that matched a lot of his daughter’s characteristics, and a small child beside them who was just as young and just as nude at the one Tony had seen previously.

A bigger picture was starting to come together, but frankly, he was over having to guess what he could and beg uselessly for further information. It was about time to take this head on. If they had brought in Deadpool’s mutant daughter, and if she was the one responsible for compromising their security system, then they had bigger problems than they could handle.

It was stupid that Tony was being left out when he was the person most capable of setting up something far better than what they had. And for what reason was he being left out? Because he was the only one being practical in the long term instead of making all decisions based on current paranoia?

Fuck that. He was getting in there one way or the other, and it was happening today. He couldn’t allow them to get even further out of control than they already were.

“Friday, let Pepper know I’ll be out of town for a while.”

“Yes, sir. Would you like me to place an order for flowers now?”

“May as well.”

Tony hit the button to call is favorite suit, letting it mold around him before walking over and grabbing the large box of salt water taffy he’d collected. He slapped it onto his back and let the suit form around it to keep it safe.

“Start a flight plan to Brazil.”

“Already uploaded, sir.”

Without any further pause, Tony walked out onto the balcony and took off. It would be a long flight, but it’d give him time to go over the data and form a few security feature ideas to bribe Peter with. Steve should hopefully still be there, and maybe, just maybe, his presence would help.

Hours later, Tony landed in front of the dome. He stomped over and banged on the metal framework. He was not to be ignored. He turned on a loudspeaker and shouted his presence, demanding to talk to Peter over and over again.

“Maybe you should ask nicer,” Clint’s voice said over the coms, watching Tony from wherever he was in the trees.

“I’m done with the niceties!” Tony snapped. “Peter! I know the entrance into here is beside me. I can _and will_ hack it and open it up myself. Stop avoiding me!”

After another minute of waiting, Peter abruptly appeared in front of Tony, looking as angry as he’d ever seen the man. Still, he refused to be intimidated, especially with the vibranium metal still sitting between them. Tony folded his helmet away so they could better see one another.

“Go. Away.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean, _why_?” Peter exploded. “You’re an uninvited guest!”

“Why? Why is that all I am?”

“I don’t have time to stroke your ego, Tony!”

“This isn’t about me!”

“Isn’t it? You’ve done nothing but push your idea of how things should go from the start!”

“What the hell are you so afraid of me doing?”

“Interfering!”

“Oh, fuck off. Like Steve isn’t doing the same damn thing. Like _Deadpool_ didn’t do exactly that when he first found you. Those two seem to be doing just fine in your little world.”

“Attacking Wade isn’t exactly selling your case,” Peter snapped.

“I don’t give two shits about your love life, okay? I’m not here to take anyone away or throw accusations.”

“That’s what you’re always here for!”

“Stop it. I am here to help, and I can help on _your_ terms.” It was about the angriest sounding offer he’d ever made, but that didn’t make it any less truthful. He was doing his best to keep his calm, okay?

“You won’t—”

“Giant spiders, webbing everywhere, kids, mutants, you got it all in there. I’m half certain this fake image of you is the only time you’re human looking. I don’t give two shits if you’re a giant Man-spider, because I know for certain that you’re still _Peter_.”

There was a stunned silence on Peter’s part after that, like he couldn’t possibly fathom the thought of Tony being so accepting. That just pissed Tony off even more.

“Why is that so shocking?! When have I ever judged a book by its cover?” Tony’s com clicked to life with a snarky noise from Clint. Tony gritted his teeth and then amended, “Outside of the bedroom.”

There was a pause before Peter said, “I’m not Man-spider… all the time.”

Tony shrugged. “Okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Yeah! Just okay. So you like to go beast mode occasionally?” Tony swirled his finger in the air. “Whoop-dee-doo. Now is that it? Can I come inside yet?”

“What do you hope to gain out of this?”

“Trust.”

Peter was silent for a long moment, taking his time to study Tony. The air was thick with tension. Finally, Peter asked, “What if you don’t like what you see?”

“What does that have to do with anything? I don’t like yappy dogs, but that doesn’t mean I punt them across the park when they run up to me. I don’t like Deadpool, but that doesn’t mean I’m telling you to break up with him.”

“Are you not?”

“I told you: I don’t care what you two do together. That’s not why I’m here.”

“What if I don’t want any of your advice?”

“Then you’d be like a bunch of other people. Look, you need new eyes on this problem. I _can_ help you. I can make this easier on you. What I can’t do, is abide by your rampant paranoia. I am _not_ your enemy.”

“You don’t understand—”

“No shit. You won’t _let_ me understand! If there is honestly not a damn thing that I can do to help, I will bow out. But you listen to me right now. I am not here because I think that everyone else is an idiot. I’m not here to replace everything you’ve been working on in secrecy. I’m here to make your life _easier_ because I _give a shit_ about you.”

Peter looked away and he seemed to be listening to people that Tony couldn’t see. Hopefully, one of those people was Steve, who was advocating for Tony. It’d be nice to have at least _one_ ally on the inside.

“Please,” Tony said, trying to drop as much sincerity into his voice as possible. “I’m not here to fight. I don’t _want_ to fight. The only thing I have ever wanted was to help keep everyone safe.”

Peter took a deep breath, his fingers fidgeting with the webshooters around his wrists. He kept looking to the people around him that couldn’t be seen, and then back to Tony, over and over again. Tony held his breath, knowing that anything else he said would likely ruin things.

At long last, Peter said, “No suit.”

“Fine.” Seconds later Tony stepped out of it, leaving him in nothing but his boardroom meeting business suit.

Peter’s eyes flicked to Tony’s watch. “Wade’s going to pat you down for any electronics. If you don’t want them smashed, take them off now.”

It was Tony’s turn to pause. He didn’t have superpowers to save him in tight situations. All he had was his intelligence and any emergency gadgets he could get away with. It wasn’t that he expected trouble once he was inside. It was more than one should always be prepared when interacting with mutants, mutates, and gods.

“You wanted trust, Tony. That starts with you.”

“And if your boyfriend takes a cheap shot, I’m just supposed to take it?”

“He won’t. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I just don’t want your knee jerk reactions hurting anyone else.”

Tony grumbled his annoyance, but took off his watch, and pulled out all manner of pens and nanobots to store along with his suit. As an afterthought, he grabbed the box of candy. “I was told to bring this.” He waved the box at Peter.

“That’s probably for the best.”

“We good now, or do you want a strip search?”

“Don’t tempt me!” Deadpool disembodied voice called from somewhere. The next moment, the ground moved, and the hatch to the entrance tunnel started rising.

“Don’t make me regret this,” Peter said.

“I’ve been trying to do the opposite for nearly six years,” Tony responded.

Finally, _finally_ , he was going in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ellie is at that age where she wants to see herself as an adult, but is still thinking like a kid in a lot of ways. Pre-teen life is fraught with that need to not being controlled by others, and struggling with finding ways to control your own life, only to realize it's not that simple. I enjoyed writing the duality of that and how she rationalizes her own situation. 
> 
> There's been mixed feelings from the readers about Tony being brought in, and I wanted to reflect those feelings in Peter and all the others on the inside. I love writing Tony because he's a perfect balance of good ideas and bad ideas, intelligence and flawed logic, selfishness and selflessness. His thoughts and ideas should usually hit a mark of both reasonable and unwanted. That is how I'll be playing him as things progress. So when it comes to Tony, try and look at things from multiple angles. hehe
> 
> I like to believe that Clint pretends he's not dying of curiosity about what's going on with Peter, but it's a big fat lie. XD
> 
> And seeee, guys? Only a 2 day cliffhanger. It's fiiiine. ;-p


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not wait to have this beta read. I just posted it the minute I had a completed chapter. it's been too long. Have a New Year's miracle!

Tony sat in the floor of a very large room surrounded by no less than thirty-six naked children. It wasn’t that Tony didn’t _like_ kids, he just… didn’t particularly care for them. Being a man in his early forties and wearing a suit while handing out old people candy to nude kids made him feel like he had a giant pedophile sign stamped onto his back. He tried to ignore that feeling.

Surrounding the passel of kids was no less than _six_ Lokis, and all of them looked displeased with Tony’s presence. Well, he wasn’t the only one. Everyone else gathered around didn’t seem all that happy either. It was as if everyone in the room was glaring at him for looking like a creepy pedo. How had things ended up like this?

Walking into the dome at last, seeing all the webbing strewn everywhere, the paranoid pat down Tony had received, and the non-stop lectures he’d endured while being led to the manor house had suggested something strange afoot. Though Tony had been informed of seemingly everyone’s ability to shift forms and how that had come about, it didn’t really sink in considering nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far.

“Ah!” A little boy walked up and smacked at the empty box of taffy while his mouth hung open expectantly.

Tony held up his hands. “All gone.”

The kid pouted and gave Tony the stink eye. Then, rather abruptly, he started growing extra arms. Tony flinched and leaned back a little in shock. Every adult in the room tensed like Tony was going to punch the kid or something. He scowled at them.

“Like _you_ weren’t surprised the first time!” Tony snapped. Only Steve had the courtesy to look guilty.

The kid in front of Tony grew fur, then claws and mandibles, then bulked out on the sides as he dropped forward, ending in the biggest spider Tony had seen in his life. Sitting down meant it stood just under Tony’s chin. His instincts screamed at him to move away, but he managed to stay still. They eyed one another for a moment before the boy-spider scuttled away.

Right. Okay. Non-aggressive. That was fine. Tony could handle that. He was surrounded by temperamental children with superpowers that could turn into giant spiders fully capable of eating him and if he tried to fight back in any way he’d be mauled by his fellow superheroes… But yeah. Totally fine. Everything was under control.

 _They should have brought me in from the beginning,_ Tony complained to himself.

A little girl with messy ringlets walked up to Tony. “Name?”

“Tony,” he patiently repeated. Kids took a long time to remember names. Not that Tony had much room to talk, in all fairness.

The kid tilted her head and gave him a funny look. “Toe Knee?”

Another little girl stomped her way to the front. “ _Tony._ Names can sound like other words!”

Tony blinked at the kid. Most of the others were mute or they had signs or they grunted or had incredibly stunted vocabulary. Then there was this kid… “And what’s your name?”

“Li,” said the vocal child. “I’m the smartest.”

“I can see that.”

The girl next to her didn’t seem all that impressed. “I learn outside. You learn word.”

“I know everything you know!” Li made it sound like it was a long time debate between them. She pointed to her sister and said to Tony, “Her name is Mei.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tony said automatically, unsure of how else to address the situation.

“You come from _outside_ outside,” Li said.

“From outside the dome, yes.”

Li leaned in and whispered. “Daddy won’t tell us about outside outside.”

It was clear in an instant to Tony. They wanted to know if he was on their side or the adults’ side. Likely Li and Mei had different and similar reasons for wanting to know about the outside world. Regardless, it proved that they were already curious. Already curious mutant adolescents were trouble waiting to happen.

Despite the distance between Tony and those watching him along with Li’s hushed voice, Tony had no doubts that Peter could hear everything. So, he looked Peter right in the eye and said, “Well, I disagree. You should learn all about outside outside.”

Peter’s reaction was far more emotional than was healthy. He turned red and looked ready to pop a blood vessel. He started walking forward, but Deadpool jumped in the way and wrapped soothing arms around the man. Vision watched them closely, waiting to see if he needed to incapacitate Peter. It occurred to Tony that the others weren’t really there to watch _him_ , they were there to watch _Peter._

Tony held up a finger to the kids. “Let’s press pause on this conversation and we’ll come back to it.” Ignoring their confused faces, Tony stood up and brushed his pants off. “Peter. Let’s talk.”

And that was how Tony ended up in Peter’s lab, away from the kids, and able to go through all of their growth rate files and health charts. Deadpool stood near Tony posing as a bodyguard, but it was painfully obvious to everyone but Peter that Deadpool was playing buffer between paranoid father and Tony. The fact that Tony and Wade were on the same side spoke volumes about the situation.

“How could you possibly say that in front of them!” Peter was ranting as he paced from one end of the lab to another. “You barely get two words out and you’re already trying to ruin everything!”

“Peter, in the history of putting people in cages, telling them not to be curious of the outside world has never ever worked,” Tony flippantly remarked as he pulled up the notes Wade had been keeping on Peter himself.

“This is not a cage!” Peter snapped and it sounded like a sore point.

“A house is a cage if you’re not allowed to leave it,” Tony replied as he read through the information. Peter’s psychological state was obviously unbalanced and it seemed that not much had changed since Deadpool had first shown up and started writing it all down.

“So what’s your fucking solution, then?” Peter ranted as he paced the lab. “You teach them about all the places they can’t visit and then expect them to be okay with that?”

“No, I expect them to visit.”

“ _They’ll be killed!_ ” Peter bellowed.

Tony spun around in his chair to face Peter, hands calmly folded over his lap. “Not if they behave appropriately. Nobody will have to know.”

“You can’t expect them too—”

“I can. They’re smart enough to learn and understand the dangers of the outside world.”

“You mean the prejudice of the outside world,” Peter spat. “I don’t want them having to learn that the whole world sees them as monsters!”

“The whole world?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrows. “Or you?”

Peter went after Tony, but Wade jumped in the way, rambling all sorts of calming things. Tony didn’t move, though his muscles screamed at him to hide. He didn’t have anything to protect him against Peter’s strength. That had been his entire point when he’d argued about walking inside without any tech to aid him.

Steve, who had agreed to wait outside and babysit while they talked, hurried into the lab when Peter started growing extra arms. Another image of Loki appeared by Tony’s side. When Steve opened his mouth to lecure Tony for setting Peter off, Loki spoke.

“I agree.”

Peter spluttered indignantly. “You were spying?”

“Of course I was spying. This is an important discussion that involves the children. I would not put up with being kept in the dark. Also, I dislike being left out of conversations. I’m always spying.”

Tony raised an eyebrow at that and noticed that Loki seemed displeased at his own admission. There was something happening with the god, and Tony made an educated guess that it had something to do with the bright red symbol on the man’s forehead, but nobody had yet to inform Tony of the details. It was not high priority information.

Well, one problem at a time.

“Having the details of my birth kept from me did nothing to aid me, nor did it keep others from treating me differently even though they did not know my past either.” Loki narrowed his eyes at Peter. “It would have been better had I been informed from the start and given the skills needed to adjust to the world around me.”

“I do _not_ see my children as monsters,” Peter growled at Tony and Loki both.

“Odin did not treat me as such, either,” Loki admitted, though his face pinched in a way that said the words tasted bitter. “But he still attempted to compensate for the _other_ that I had in me. He still tried to mold me to his image.”

Peter took a deep and shaky breath, his multiple arms wrapping tight around Wade and clinging in a way that said Deadpool was the only thing keeping him grounded. That made Tony uncomfortable on various levels. Peter looked at Loki and carefully crafted a question that wasn’t posed as a question.

“I have always wanted my children to be who they wanted to be. I don’t want to force my expectations on them.” Peter looked like he was desperate for Loki to agree.

Tony spoke into Loki’s long silence. “I’m sure that you have, but nobody’s perfect, and I’m not saying they need to change who they are. Nobody is saying that.”

“Just that they need to hide it.” Peter sounded bitter.

“How is that different than the current circumstances?” Tony spread his arms, indicating the insular world around them. “How is that different from when you were so determined to stay masked?”

“I made that choice.”

“No, you didn’t. Even if you hadn’t used your powers to become a hero, you still would have had to hide them from others. In order for people to feel safe, they need to believe that they are on the same general level as the people around them.”

Tony waved at everyone in the room. “I know that you will not attack me. I know that there is no reason for anyone inside this dome to hurt me. Yet, every single one of you, toddlers included, could kill me in under a minute and I wouldn’t have a fighting chance.”

Loki spoke up once again. “Knowing how and why they should act in front of others weaker than them not only protects the children, but it protects those interacting with them. They are strong. With the right amount of training and experience, they _will_ win a fight against most opponents.”

“I don’t want them trained to fight!” Peter argued.

“That may not be your decision.” Tony shrugged. “You can’t control them forever. Either way, we’ll need a plan in both cases, and those plans will need to be augmented if they show further mutant power development during puberty.”

“What do you mean a _plan_?” Peter looked ready to pull away and come at Tony again, but Wade managed to keep Peter still.

“The same plans we have for everyone else if something happens and one of us goes AWOL. At the very least, symbiotes are still a thing we have to contend with.”

“You’re not going to write up a contingency plan for my kids!”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? They’re _kids_!”

“You know what kids do? They grow up. That’s their sole purpose in life. Am I the only one aware of that? Why am I the only one thinking ahead?”

“You’re not,” Loki abruptly answered and he looked _very_ angry about it. A few people in the room said something about not asking questions that Loki had to answer, but Loki started talking over them. “I am well aware that the parts that makes the children different will cause others to fear them. People hate _different_ and I will not stand by and assume it will end with a few choice words. _No one_ will lay a hand upon on them so long as I am here.

“That’s why I have them teaching them a groundwork of information that I can use to education them in self defense and preservation once they’re older and capable of hiding it from their father.”

Loki continued talking, giving details of how the innocent seeming lessons that Peter approved of could be turned into lessons Loki prefered a few years down the road. He also explained how even the most basic of education, including language and shape shifting, could be built upon in the future. Not only that, Loki had been subtly testing a few to see if they had the propensity to learn illusion magic.

Judging by everyone’s reaction to the tirade, especially Loki himself, Tony was starting to put together a complete picture and why people seemed to accept the god’s presence. When Loki finally finished, he and Peter were squared off and looked ready to fight. Tony cleared his throat to get their attention.

“I’m making an educated guess that you have some spell on you that forces the truth from you when asked a question.”

“How observant of you,” Loki spat with venomous sarcasm.

“I apologize. I didn’t know.” Tony gave his best apologetic smile, though Pepper often complained it didn’t look very convincing. “Don’t worry. I’m not against most of your plans. I’ll help you out.”

“This is _not_ a discussion!” Peter shouted, shoving Wade out of his way. Bits of fur started to crawl across his skin. “These are _my_ children, and I will throw the _both_ of you out if you threaten their safety!”

“You cannot keep me out,” Loki sneered. “Your metal contraption is nothing to me, nor a good portion of beings in the realms. I am not here for only myself or my son! I am here because I care about these children! I have _always_ cared about the innocent! Your purposeful negligence to their safety is of great concern to me. You are _not_ innocent and you know how the world works. It baffles me how you can stand there and believe the tripe you spew!”

“I have done everything for these kids!” Peter shouted.

“You have done everything for yourself!” Loki returned with just as much heat.

Tony held up his hands at them. “I’ll disagree with you there. Peter may be paranoid, but he’s also loyal to a fault. He believes this is the best course of action, we just have to convince him otherwise.” Tony tried not to feel disoriented over his sudden alliance with Loki, of all people, in concern of three dozen toddlers.

“The only reason that _I_ have not thrown _you_ out,” Loki continued in a righteous rage, “is because I know what it feels like to have your children taken from you!”

“Then you know why I want to keep them safe!” Peter shouted.

“This is not safety! This is an illusion!”

There was a tense moment of silence and Tony took that opportunity to jump in before the two strongest people in the room could tear into each other. “Look. I’m not asking you to advertise the kids to the world with full details on them, and I’m not suggesting that we build plans for permanent containment. Our methods of containing Hulk weren’t about indefinite incapacitation. It was about keeping those around him safe until we could help get things under control again. More than that, it was about keeping _Bruce_ safe from public outcry if he went on a rampage.”

“They are not mindless rage monsters when they’re in spider form!” Peter snapped.

“I get that. I’m just saying that having a plan isn’t about _hurting_ them. It’s about _containing_ them long enough for whatever problem there is to be resolved. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that as a teenager with your powers, you didn’t find yourself almost stepping over the line, even if it was unintentional.”

The look on Peter’s face said it all. He had struggled with that in the past. Tony could understand. They all had such moment in life, especially as high powered superheroes. They couldn’t afford to assume that the kids would be exceptions to the rule. A turning point in their lives would happen, and there was a good possibility that not all of them would take the right path. Tony just wanted be be prepared to help put them back on the right track if necessary.

“That moment in your life doesn’t make you a bad person,” Steve said, finally breaking his silence. “It makes you human. It makes _them_ human.”

“Exactly!” Tony said. Steve was always good at summing up what Tony was trying to say in a much better fashion.

“We all have lessons to learn in life, Peter.” Steve had that tone of voice that annoyed Tony but seemed to inspire others. For once, Tony didn’t complain. “We can’t keep them from learning those lessons, it will happen one way or the other. All we can do is prepare them for it.”

“Why is everyone suddenly on Tony’s side?” Peter looked betrayed. Tony didn’t take it personally.

“Because I’m right.” Tony stood up and walked up to Peter displaying more trust and confidence than he actually had in the emotionally unstable man. “I promise you, these are going to be the safest kids on the planet. I’ll spare no expense, and that’s saying something, because I’m filthy rich.”

Peter scoffed and rolled his eyes, but up close, he looked on the verge of tears. Tony took one more step forward into Peter’s space and wrapped his arms around the man. He wasn’t a huge hugger, but the poor guy looked like he needed it. There was a long enough pause for it to start to feel awkward, but then Peter’s arms wrapped around Tony in return. All of them. And boy, wasn’t that weird feeling.

“We’re gonna figure something out,” Tony reassured. “Don’t worry. I don’t put down a puzzle until I’ve solved it.”

“I don’t want to fight with you,” Peter whispered.

“Everyone fights with me. The AI I built fights with me. _I_ fight with me. Don’t worry about it. I don’t take it personally.”

Peter huffed a laugh and that was honestly the best thing Tony had heard in years. He was going to fix the situation and make things easier for everyone. Most importantly, he was going to make sure Peter didn’t keel over from untreated emotional trauma and stress.

Uncle Tony was ready to get to work.

 

~*~

 

Tony’s systems blared at him and screens were popping up along the inside of his helmet. Sweat started beading down his neck at the sudden spike in temperature. His suit vibrated under the strain of the coolants fans. Tony held up his hands and tried to stay calm.

“You _knew_?!” Johnny Storm raged, his flames encasing Iron Man’s suit from where he had it shoved up against a wall. “You knew where he was this _whole time_?!”

“To be fair, it took a few years to find him, and I still didn’t know what was going on until a week ago.”

Johnny shouted in frustration and paced off, his flames shifting in color and sending spouts of fire tornadoes spiraling up towards the ceiling. Sue Storm stood off to the side, one hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. She’d been stuck like that for a while. Tony didn’t handle emotional meltdowns well, so he did his best to just… ignore that.

“Look, the moment I finally knew what was happening, I advocated to come to you directly, and for more than one reason,” Tony said. “Peter is not in a good place. He needs help, mentally, physically, and emotionally.”

“What happened?” Reed asked, his arms crossed and his face solemn.

Tony waved his hand at the four of them. “A mutation.”

“That’s all?” Johnny snapped, whirling around. “He would have come to us first! Why hide it?”

“There’s… more.” Tony huffed with frustration. “He literally made me promise not to say it while any electronics are near me. You have no idea how bad his paranoia is right now, but Scarlet Witch promised to force the truth out of me in case I lied.”

“What the fuck?” Johnny’s flames flared brighter again. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“Johnny, please.” Reed gave the man a look. “If whatever is happening took Peter this long to even extend this kind of information to us, then it’s safe to say something is severely wrong. We need to approach this carefully and under his terms in order to gain his trust and help him.”

“Trust?” Though it was hard to see under the flames, Johnny look crushed. “We’ve been friends for how long?”

Ben took two large steps forward. “And despite the people I loved and trusted before my mutation, many of them refused to talk to me afterwards.”

Johnny looked away and his flames burned a little lower, but they still didn’t go out. Tony hoped the man would calm down soon. He didn’t need any problems or else Peter would take it as proof that bringing in more people would only cause more chaos.

“The truth is, I’m going to need a lot more than just the four of you, but I’ll start with what I can get,” Tony said.

“Why?” Reed asked.

“Have you ever heard of the [Big Brother](http://www.bbbs.org/) program?”

 

~*~

 

Peter watched the sky as a trail of flames traveled across it. His instincts screamed inside his head. It was a bright burning trail right to his location. Johnny couldn’t have made it more obvious if he’d installed a bright neon sign with a flashing arrow pointing at the dome. Peter took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm. Surely Tony would have made Johnny stay inside a _cloaked_ aircraft for the majority of the flight to Brazil.

The Human Torch touched down, spewing bits of flame around him, incinerating the grass below his feet. Peter found himself unable to even react to it. He had shut down hard, his emotions a confusing and tangled mess just by seeing his friend in front of him again. Memories accosted him in a relentless tide. Homesickness flipped his stomach.

_How many Christmases did I miss? Did he wait for me on top of Lady Liberty like always?_

“You son of bitch!” Johnny surged forward, fist raised and flames spewing all around him. Peter didn’t move. Johnny’s fist stopped an inch from Peter’s face. The heat of it raced along his skin. “Don’t just fucking stand there! Move! Fight back!”

“You have every right to be angry with me,” Peter whispered.

Johnny vibrated with barely contained rage for a few seconds before his fist flew past Peter’s ear and slammed into the metal bars of the dome in a shower of sparks. “I thought you were dead!”

Peter looked up and made eye contact. His chest squeezed at the pain he saw in Johnny’s flame coated eyes. “I’m scared… I don’t know what to do anymore…”

The fire was gone in an instant and was replaced by warm arms wrapping themselves around Peter. Tears were spilling over in an instant as Peter curled in and hugged Johnny back. It was both so scary and such a relief to see his friend again. Peter didn’t know how to process it all.

“We’re your family, Pete.” Johnny sniffed and squeezed a little tighter. “We’re always gonna be your family, no matter what… And when you don’t look like death warmed over, I’m gonna kick your ass for real.”

“I’m sorry…” And though Johnny didn’t know it, Peter wasn’t just apologizing for disappearing. He was apologizing for not wanting any of them brought into Peter’s current life. Tony seemed ready to fight Peter tooth and nail on that, and Peter was surprised to realize how many of the others passively agreed with Tony.

Peter didn’t know what to think anymore. It wasn’t a good feeling to be told that all of his hard work and all the sacrifices he’d made to take care of his children hadn’t been the best option. Was there even a right path at all? And if there wasn’t, where did that leave all of them?

 

~*~

 

The kids were about as unsure of Ben Grimm as Johnny was of Peter’s relationship with Wade. That was to say, wary and completely freaked out. Loki was frustrated beyond belief with Ben’s presence, as he had no way to explain to the kids why a pile of rocks was moving of its own accord and trying to talk to them. In the meantime, Sue was getting frustrated with Johnny.

“If Wade has been here nearly the whole time, then it’s fine,” Sue insisted. “From what Tony has said, he’s been a huge help, and it’s not like Tony is the guy’s biggest fan.”

“Peter is _unstable_!” Johnny hissed. “Deadpool is unstable! Do you not see the correlation?”

Reed cleared his throat. “Correlation does not equal causation.”

“Are you _really_ taking the mercenary’s side?”

“Why don’t they like me?” Ben pouted.

Tony massaged his temples and told himself that it _was_ a good idea to bring them in. Transitions just took some time. It wasn’t like he hadn’t gone through all of their emotions on his own the past few years. He just needed to have some patience as they adjusted.

“Ellie!” Tony cried with relief as the pre-teen walked up to him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Over the past week Tony and Ellie had been working together. She knew the kids well and had been gathering personality profiles on each of them, along with pictures and detailed descriptions of their spider and human forms. In return for her help (under the table as it was), Tony had been taking her outside the dome to spend time with her favorite superhero: Hawkeye.

“I brought Li and Nick. They were the only two willing to come close.” Ellie waved her arm at the two kids. Nick looked like he was forming some elaborate plan, and Li was looking at the group like it was all just a ruse.

“Li! Perfect timing.” Tony’s shoulder dropped with relief. Li was the easiest kid to talk to given her vocabulary.

“They are from outside outside?” Li asked, giving the Fantastic Four a suspicious look.

“Yes, and they’re special, like you.”

Li shook her head. “They are toys.”

Tony blinked. “Toys?”

Nick rapidly stomped his feet on the ground and then eyed up the group of four. “No feel.”

Li nodded in agreement. “They feel like toys.” She glared at Tony like he was trying to pull a fast one.

Ellie shrugged. “Mei is mad. She won’t even talk to me about it.”

“Can they feel vibrations through the ground?” Reed asked, the hamster wheels turning.

“Yeah.” Ellie nodded.

“The kids must be used to sensing living organisms in a certain way. Our bio readings were vastly changed after the incident.”

“But don’t they live with Vision?” Johnny asked.

Tony waved his hand to bat the question away. “Vision has synthetic organs.”

“I don’t have organs,” Ben helpfully pointed out. “I have rocks.”

“That’s not exactly accurate—” Reed started but Tony cut him off and turned to speak to Li.

“They were human and then there was an accident and they changed.”

Li narrowed her eyes at Tony. “How?”

Tony said “science” at the same time Johnny said “magic.” Li’s eyes flicked between them, unimpressed with either answer. Ellie shook her head at all of them like they were idiots.

Nick abruptly pointed at Johnny and shouted, “Hot!”

“Yes. He’s too hot,” Li agreed.

“Listen, Li,” Ellie intervened. “There are lots of people out there that are boring and the same, but then there are these people who are confusing and different. There are even more people who are even more different and confusing outside. Even _I_ don’t know them all, and I lived out there.”

“There’s a lot to learn,” Tony offered.

“Exactly.” Ellie sighed a little overdramatically. “But if you think it’s too much to learn and you can’t do it…”

“I can do it!” Li was instantly offended.

“I don’t know… It’s a _lot_ to learn.”

“I’m the smartest!” Li stomped her foot.

“Well, that’s true,” Ellie agreed.

Suddenly, Nick darted forward and wrapped himself around one of Ben’s giant legs, pressing his ear against the rocky surface. Ben held very still, unsure of what to do. There was a long pause before Nick turned to look at Li with a face of pure amazement.

“Thump thump!” Nick cried.

Frowning, Li walked over and carefully placed her hands on Ben’s other leg, giving the giant man a wary look. Ben gave her an awkward smile. Li closed her eyes and her face screwed up in concentration. Everyone held their breath. At long last, Li stepped back and crossed her arms, looking displeased.

“ _Thump thump_ ,” Nick insisted.

“Yes. I know.”

Nick grinned, triumphant in his discovery. Reed and Sue looked invested, like they were talking a million notes inside their heads. Tony was just relieved that they had overcome the hurdle of the kids distrusting not only the Fantastic Four, but also _him._

“Name?” Li asked.

“Ben.”

Li’s eyebrows crashed together. “Ben is _our_ brother.” She looked over at Ellie, her face demanding an explanation.

Ellie shrugged. “Some people have the same names. In fact, Ben is just short for Benjamin, and that’s also your dad’s middle name.”

Li huffed and glared at everyone like they were all being purposefully difficult.

Ellie smirked. “Well, if that’s too much and you can’t handle it…”

“I can!” Li immediately argued. “It’s just stupid!” She threw her arms up and turned around, storming off. “I’ll go tell Mei.”

“AHHHH!” With a great heave of effort, Nick planted his feet and yanked Ben’s leg up in the air so fast the man toppled over backwards with a loud thunk and a surprised yelp. Nick cackled and ran off, his face lit up with joy and ready to tell the others that the rock-man _could_ be defeated.

Johnny snorted as he watched the kid run off with a smirk. “Dibs on that one.”

 

~*~

 

Peter sat curled up in the grass with Hal nestled against his chest. Hal rarely switched forms and sometimes looked like he didn’t even want the taffy during the times it was presented to the kids (though he always caved and shifted in order to eat some). He was a loner and didn’t spend much of his time with anyone. Despite that, he never turned down an opportunity to cuddle with his dad.

Wade plopped down in the grass beside them and leaned his shoulder against Peter’s. In the distance, Ben was pulling himself back to his feet and dusting grass off of himself. Peter stayed silent as he gently ran his fingers through Hal’s fur and pretended he wasn’t obsessively watching the Fantastic Four interact with his kids.

“Hey, cutie,” Wade cooed as he ran his fingers along Hal’s sleepy thorax.

Peter’s head fell sideways to lean against Wade. “Do you think I’m crazy?” he muttered.

“I think I’m the wrong person to ask, first of all.” Wade smirked and jostled his shoulder to get Peter to join in the joke, but no luck. “I think maybe, just maybe, it’s time to look at some options that’ll help make you happier.”

“I _am_ happy,” Peter argued, but it came out as more of a pout. “I have you and the kids and we have what we need—”

“You’re stressed out constantly, babe.”

“That’s what parenting is.”

“Parenting has never included raising thirty-six super powered toddlers with no help. If it takes a village to raise a child, then we’re gonna need a lot of villages.”

“It feels like everything is the wrong decision. How do I keep them safe?” Peter whispered in distress.

Wade wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “That feeling right there? _That’s_ parenting. But you can’t let that consume you. You can’t control everything. You just gotta plan for things going sideways so you can do whatever you can to fix it. The world makes no sense, and they’re gonna experience that eventually whether we want them to or not. Parenting is about raising your kid to be sufficiently independent, ya know.”

“ _I_ don’t feel sufficiently independent…” Peter mumbled.

Wade chuckled. “And that’s the secret of adulthood.”

Peter turned his face to peek up at Wade. “You’ll be here through everything, right?”

“No power in the 'verse can stop me.”

“Did you just quote Firefly at me?”

“It’s because we’re big damn heroes.”

The barest of smiles played on Peter’s lips. “Ain’t we just.”

Wade grinned and kissed Peter who returned the gesture happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I am sure has become evident, I have no idea what to do with this story. lol
> 
> SO! In order to prevent another incident like this one in which I flail and struggle, I have decided to pass the torch. A friend, reader, and fellow Spideypool writer Bexorz will be taking over this fic. Bex works with the Ask_Spiderpool blog to make canon offshoots of the storyline, as well as running her own Miles Ask Blog that ties into Ask_Spiderpool. That is to say, she has a lot of experience working with other content creators and sticking to their vision of the world. I will be working with Bex personally as the story moves forward, but she will be taking the wheel. We will most likely do another time jump when she takes over. I might do the occasional chapter as well if there are any time constraints to help keep this on a somewhat manageable posting schedule.
> 
> The both of us love these spider babies a lot and want to do right by them. I don't want to just abandon the fic, so I feel like this is the best option. Bex will be a good spider mom, don't worry guys! <3
> 
> To see some of her writing, please check out her page:  
> http://archiveofourown.org/users/bexorz/pseuds/bexorz
> 
> I would also like to thank you guys so much. I never expected this story to get the kind of attention that it did and I love you all! From now on, I will only write stories that I have a clear and dedicated ending for. XD I hope to see you all in some of my new projects, and I hope you continue to love our passel of spider kids here. <3 <3 <3
> 
> Happy New Years, guys! \o/

**Author's Note:**

> If you are interested in Spideypool, Yuri on Ice, and random yaoi pictures, hit up my tumblr! :-D  
> http://thatvixenchick.tumblr.com/
> 
> So by popular request, my cats have their own tumblr now. https://vixen13scats.tumblr.com/


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